Many people are not happy with their uneven or prominent ears. Confidence issues, limited hairstyle options, unfriendly comments, and limited sports options can get into their way. Cosmetic Ear Surgery or Otoplasty is a common surgery that involves reshaping the uneven or prominent ears which, in return, can help people overcome these issues caused by their ears.
The main purpose of this surgery is to reshape ears to asymmetrical and natural shape while not leaving a visible scar. Otoplasty surgery may include reshaping, resizing, and relocating ears, or combination thereof.
Otoplasty can be performed on children aged over 5 because their cartilage of the ear is strong enough to reshape. However, surgery at younger age carries great risks.
What should be done before Otoplasty?
There are some guidelines to follow before Otoplasty. These are:
• Avoid using drugs that contain acetylsalicylic acid (like aspirin) as they may increase the risk of bleeding during or after surgery.
• Get checked and examined as requested before the surgery
• Make sure that you didn’t have suffered a viral infection three weeks before the surgery. If you have, inform your surgeon.
• One day before the surgery, wash your hair and don’t put on any makeup on surgery day.
How does Cosmetic Ear Surgery done?
Cosmetic Ear Surgery or Otoplasty takes about two to three hours. It may be performed under local or general anesthesia.
The surgeon lifts the skin and reshapes the cartilages behind the ear. The incision is made behind the ears so that there would be no visible scar after the surgery.
The surgeon may also perform these procedures:
• Pulling the ears behind to stop the protrusion
• Reducing size of the ears to ensure proportion with the face.
• Reshaping the ears in case of damage
• Reconstructing the ears in case of a physical deformation
Otoplasty and postoperative instructions
Postoperative care is different for all patients and depends on the agreement between the surgeon and the patient. However, common postoperative care procedures are outlined below:
• The dressing should be changed the day after the surgery and every other day. The dressing is fully removed 7 days later. After the wound dressing is removed, you can wash your head and you need to wear a protective band over your ears for several weeks.
• You need to protect your ears from cold and swimming is not recommended to avoid any infections.
• Sports and physical activities can be restarted 5 weeks after the surgery