Otoplasty – Ear Surgery

Protruding earlobes are a frequent aesthetic problem. Surgery is the only method that can address the nature of the problem and reduce the angle between the earlobe and the head. The procedure is best performed in small children, aged from 6 to 10 years. If you have not been operated on as a child and you still wish to undergo surgery, it is not a problem, as it is never too late. The objective of the surgery is to achieve symmetrical ears and reduce the angle that they form with the head. The best results are achieved in children as a child’s cartilage is finer and more pliable than an adult’s. But attractive results can also be achieved at a more mature age. The main thing is that you get your self-esteem and satisfaction back.

Pre-op Assessment

This operation can be performed as one-day surgery using local anaesthesia supplemented with sedatives, if required. If the surgeon recommends it, the procedure can also be performed under general anaesthesia. In that case, the patient must undergo a pre-operative assessment at his GP's office or at the plastic surgery clinic. No such assessment is required before local anaesthesia. It is advisable that you wash your hair one day before surgery as you will be wearing a fixation brace for a week, which will make washing your hair impossible.

Procedure

The operation takes approximately one hour. The purpose is to modify the concho-scaphal angles. Translated into English, the two parts of the cartilage that makes up the ear are aligned. The surgical access is from the back of the earlobe, so no scars are visible.

Recovery

If the surgery is performed under local anaesthesia, the patient can go home after the procedure. If it is performed under general anaesthesia, the patient stays at the clinic for one day. In both cases, the dressing is changed the next day and the patient must rest, lying on his/her back and maintaining his/her head in an elevated position. Children do not report any post-surgery pain, while adults do. Pain can last for several days but can be reduced with painkillers. The bandage is removed after one week. A fixation brace is worn for another 3 to 4 weeks. The brace can be removed for washing your hair. The absorbable stitches will fall out on their own. Full physical activity is possible 4 weeks after surgery.

First Visible Effects

The results can be seen once the bandages are removed, and you will fully enjoy them from the 4th post-op week onwards.