Ear Correction
What is Ear Correction Surgery?
Ear Correction surgery, formally known as Otoplasty, aims to improve the appearance of abnormal positioned, protruding ears by repositioning and placing the ears closer to the head or by changing the size and the shape of the ears.
Why is Ear Correction performed?
Ear Correction surgery is performed to resolve the patient’s ears being inconsistent with or being too large for their head. Patients might consider Ear Correction surgery if the ears are deformed due to an accident or birth defect.
What are the conditions for Ear Correction?
Ear Correction surgery is mostly performed on children or teenagers, however it can and is performed on adults as well. Children with separated, protruding ears are recommended to have Ear Correction surgery after the age of 6 to 8. Ear Correction surgery is not suitable for children younger than 6 years as their ear cartilage is too soft to hold the stitches. Patient needs to be safely able to undergo anesthesia to have an Ear Correction.
What Are The Things To Be Considered Before Ear Correction?
Patients should:
- Be at the hospital a day before their surgery for the preoperative tests to be performed.
- Stop smoking and consuming alcohol at least 2 weeks before the surgery to alleviate the risk of a blood clot.
- Avoid medication containing aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) for two weeks before the surgery. These medications may increase the risk of internal bleeding. Patients should confirm each medication and supplement they wish to take with their Patient Coordinator.
- Stop taking multivitamins 7 days prior to the surgery, and if it contains vitamin K should not be used for 30 days following the surgery.
- Stop taking oral contraceptives 30 days prior to the surgery.
How is the Ear Correction performed?
The ears will be properly pinned back closer to the head and the size can also be reduced to provide a more even appearance. The otoplasty technique used will depend on what the patient wants to change about their ears. Usually a small incision is made on the back of the ear to access the atrial cartilage, afterwards the cartilage is adjusted depending on what the patient wants. The surgery scars of Otoplasty are hidden behind the ear. The procedure might be performed with local anesthesia or general anesthesia.
What are The Things To Be Considered After Ear Correction?
Both ears are kept bandaged for until two days after surgery. The bandages are then replaced by an elastic band that must be kept on while sleeping for a month. Most adults can return to work 5 days after surgery.
The results of the surgery are permanent and can be observed immediately after surgery.
Patients should take care to:
- Have a healthy diet as it will make the healing process faster.
- Take their prescribed medication as instructed by their doctor.
- Keep their head as straight as possible to ensure normal blood flow for the first few weeks following surgery.
- Avoid using hair dryers or other heated styling tools for a month following surgery.
- Not undergo physically strenuous exercises for 6 weeks until after the surgery.
What Are The Risks of Ear Correction?
Ear Correction surgery is a common procedure and is considered relatively safe. However, there are some risks associated with it like any other surgery.
- After ear correction surgery, the repositioning of the ears can temporarily reduce skin sensation around the ears.
- The scars might remain, but are well hidden behind the ears.
- Patients might have an asymmetry as a result of changes during the healing process and might need a revision.
- Ear correction surgery may create unnatural contours that might make ears appear to be pinned back exceedingly.