What You Need To Know About Otoplasty Surgery

What is Otoplasty Surgery? It is a surgical procedure intended to reshape ones ears. This can be performed as a functional surgery or for cosmetic purposes. People that are unhappy with how their ears look like may request for Otoplasty surgery. This can also be performed on people with congenital ear deformities.

Otoplasty Procedure

Ear surgery utilizes local anesthesia for adult patients and general anesthesia for kids. In performing otoplasty, the surgeon creates a small cut at the back of the ear exposing the cartilage. The excess skin will then be removed and the cartilage will be reshaped. There are also cases where repositioning of the ear is necessary. Usually, the ear will be moved and pinned nearer to the head and the wound will be sealed with non-removable sutures. The entire surgical process would consume at least one hour or two. 

Candidates for Ear Pinning Surgery

There are also factors that need to be considered before letting someone to go through otoplasty surgery. There are many reported cases of ear pinning surgery on patients ages four to fourteen. Moreover, adults who are suffering from unusually large ears or over extended earlobes can be a good candidate for otoplasty surgery. In general, adults are all good candidates for ear pinning surgery. 

Otoplasty Techniques

Like other plastic or cosmetic surgery, otoplasty also utilizes several techniques in getting ear surgery done. Apparently, the method or the technique to be used will largely depend on the nature and the degree of each patient’s condition. 

The methods use in otoplasty surgery can be split into two major groups. These are cartilage cutting and cartilage sparing. Cartilage cutting technique utilizes incisions in the cartilage in order to remove, reposition or add some tissues. Using this type of technique would create more scarring but the scars will be less visible.

On the other hand, cartilage sparing techniques utilizes sutures and stitches to control and maneuver the shape as well as the position of the ear. While it is less invasive compared to cartilage cutting, the result of cartilage sparing is smoother and shows more natural curves. 

If the patient’s condition requires repositioning of ears and pinning it closer to the head, the surgeon will be using both techniques to achieve best result. The procedure involves incision and removal of excess skin behind the ears using cartilage cutting and sparing technique.

The functional purpose of otoplasty surgery is the reconstruction of ears to fix some ear injuries or congenital ear deformities. The procedure is commonly called reconstructive ear surgery. In this type of otoplasty surgery, the surgeon would combine otoplasty techniques to other types of reconstructive surgical procedures to restore the natural look of the ear. 

After Otoplasty Surgery

Following otoplasty surgery, the patient’s head will be covered with bandages to ensure safety and apposite healing. Few days after the surgery, the original bandage will be removed and replaced. A lighter bandage will be used until a couple of weeks and more. The bandaged will be removed soon after the patient’s condition would allow it.  

By the time that the bandages were properly removed, the patient will be required to wear a special headband to support proper positioning of ears when healed. The headband should be worn especially at night as the risk of losing the exact location of the ear is high when the patient is asleep.

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