Earlobe Repair Surgery - Solution For A Torn Earlobe

The earlobe is a very flexible part of the human anatomy. It is simply a lump of fat covered with skin that hangs from the auricle – the main cartilaginous body of the ear. This is why it is the most commonly pierced body part for attaching body ornaments such as earrings. Although earlobes can easily recover from such purposely inflicted wounds, theearlobe can also be easily damaged and torn by injury. In such cases,earlobe repair surgery may be required.

Torn earlobe causes

Most cases of atorn earlobe are usually related to trauma to the ear due to lacerations or from ear piercings. Usually, theearlobe is stretched to the point of ripping due to big heavy earrings or if accidentally pulled or bitten by a small child for example. There are times when large earrings get caught in some item with some force which results in split earlobes.

A torn earlobe may also come from ear gauges. These days, ear gauges are becoming a fad among young people. Such ornaments take the place of conventional earrings. Ear gauges purposely and progressively elongate the lobes of the ear. While the use of ear gauges may be an accepted rite of passage in some cultures, it puts users at greater risk for damaged earlobes which ultimately will needearlobe repair. By the time that ear gauges are no longer in fashion, the only option to restore the overstretched earlobes of these people isreconstructive ear surgery.

An overview of earlobe repair surgery

In general, earlobe repair is a safe and quick procedure particularly in the hands of a board certified plastic surgeon. This is usually an outpatient operation which will only require local anesthesia. The entire procedure lasts only 30 minutes on the average.

The standard ear reconstruction technique used to repair the earlobe is simple and straightforward. The surgeon will first have the edges of the tear freshened with an incision. The earlobe is then sutured together, keeping the skin edges slightly turned outward to prevent inversion of the skin which leads to visible scarring. The lobe is then dressed loosely to guard against infection, although the dressing may be removed in a few hours leaving the earlobe exposed for healing.

An alternative technique used by cosmetic surgeons is performed by segmenting a flap of tissue from the tear area, thus reshaping the earlobe and finally closing the incisions with a zig-zag pattern suture. This earlobe repair surgery technique is sometimes called z-plasty and is useful for earlobes that have more extensive damage.

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