Ear surgery

Plastic surgeon Dr. Deborah Ekstrom understands that protruding or large ears can be an embarrassing feature for someone to live with. However, this can be corrected through otoplasty, also known as ear surgery, setback otoplasty, or ear pinning. It is an ear correction procedure designed to remove or reshape the cartilage that makes up your ears.

The procedure can pin back ears that stick out and make larger ears smaller. It can even improve the appearance of the ears in case they have become misshapen from trauma or activities like boxing. Otoplasty is available for both adults and children (at least 5 years old) who are unhappy with the shape, size, or ear position. Otoplasty surgery can also be combined with other procedures such as a facelift or a forehead lift.

Ear surgery or otoplasty is an outpatient cosmetic surgery procedure that normally requires only intravenous sedation with local anesthesia. Small incisions will be made around the external ear to allow the surgeon better access to the cartilage. Cartilage can then be manipulated through removal, reshaping, and reforming to repair the ears for an improved, symmetrical look. Excess skin from the ear can also be removed, if needed. Ear surgery is commonly used to pin back protruding ears, repair earlobes, reshape, and resize to provide natural-looking results. The length of the surgery depends on the technique and the condition of the patient’s ears.

Side effects of otoplasty surgery may include:

• Swelling: Swelling after otoplasty can occur immediately after the operation or weeks later. It is normal to experience swelling in the operated area and nerves around it for a few days after an otoplasty procedure. Pain medication will help alleviate swelling and discomfort, which are often present for several days post-op.
• Bleeding: There may be minor bleeding from stitches in the back of your ears during the procedure, but this is usually mild and rare. The bleeding would heal within some days without much concern. Some patients experience more bleeding than others, given that everyone’s healing process is unique.
• Infection: Infections are rare after otoplasty procedures; even though the surgery can involve some risks, most patients don’t develop infections.
• Pain: Pain may seem worse at first, but it gradually lessens as you heal over time without any specific pain management plan.
  Numbness: Feeling numbness might happen on your operated ears because of sutures pinching nerves inside them or nerve damage from surgery which, however, will disappear with time; it’s a normal recovery process.