Ear Surgery Procedure

Big ears that stick out are not usually considered a charming feature. That's why children get called 'dumbo' in the schoolyard and why others tend to stare rudely at them. Having deformed ears or protruding ears can be a great humiliation that reduces your self-esteem and willingness to socialize. That's why cosmetic surgeons have been freeing people of this problem for years with cosmetic ear surgery.

Deciding on surgery

You should begin by asking yourself if you feel that altering the way your ears look will make a difference in your life. If your child has the problem, consider that he or she will probably have to endure years of teasing unless you do something now. Talk to a surgeon and discuss the problem in depth to find out if it's the right choice because each patient has his or her own specific needs.

The Surgery

The surgical process for cosmetic ear enhancement is safe and well known to surgeons. The majority of the work involves altering the cartilage layer in the upper part of the ear.

Most ear surgeries are done as an outpatient procedure. Only local anesthetics are used in conjunction with a sedative for adults. Children tend to get agitated and most doctors recommend that they receive general anesthesia.

A cosmetic ear surgery procedure involves an incision at the back of the ear where the hard cartilage is. The skin gets peeled back and surgeons can add sutures in the cartilage or cut it to help bring the whole ear closer toward the head. If sutures are being used to hold the cartilage then they're usually permanent. Temporary sutures are used to close the incision once the modifications are done. The entire length of the procedure can take an hour and a half to two hours, depending on the relative complexity of the operation and whether both ears are to be operated on.

Recovery

A tight head dressing must be worn over the wound for several days to provide support. After that time, the external temporary stitches are removed and a lighter head dressing can be used for the next few weeks. After two months the brunt of the healing should be complete. Most patients actually return to work a week after the surgery, but contact sports or any activity that can put the ear at risk of injury should be avoided.