Ear Surgery – Plastic Surgery
Otoplasty – Ear Plastic surgery is the term used for cosmetic ear surgery. This kind of surgery changes the way the ear looks, not the way it works. Most cosmetic ear surgery is requested to re-set protruding ears closer to the head, reduce the size of large ears, or correct ears that have some sort of a deformation such as a folded over section or what is called a cauliflower ear. Correcting protruding ears is often called ear pinning.
An interesting new development is patients who are demanding plastic surgery to give them “elf” ears. Yes, you read that correctly, Elf Ears. Elf ears can be attributed to Dr. Spock on Star Trek or to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy – I think… but rest assured that most of these patients are fairly young, not too many 80-year-old elves, I guess.
The ear is a fairly simple organ to reform. Usually, a tiny incision is made in the back of the cartilage which can then be manipulated, sculpted, or folded into the desired configuration. Stitches close the incision and help maintain the new shape. For ear pinning the cartilage is cut and placed in the correct position to heal.
Children between the ages of 4 and 14 years are the primary candidates for ear pinning, which is sometimes covered by insurance. However, adults decide to rid themselves of body issues that have bothered them like ears that stick out too far from their head.
Recovery time for ear plastic surgery is about 5 to 7 days after ear surgery, before resuming your normal routines. For strenuous activity or contact sports, you should usually wait 1 to 2 months.
There are certain risk and possible side effects when you choose to have ear plastic surgery. The risks? Infection of cartilage, excessive scarring, mismatched or artificial-looking ears, and recurrence of the protrusion, which requires repeat surgery. Possible side effects include: temporary throbbing, aching, swelling, redness, and numbness.
