Otoplasty (ear reshaping): What is it?
Otoplasty, pinnaplasty, and ear reduction surgery are some of the other names for the typical cosmetic surgical operations used to change the size and form of the ear and earlobe. Standard practices include:
- Pinnaplasty, or pinning the ears back
- Ear reduction – to make the ears smaller
- Correcting birth defects or injuries-related abnormalities in the ears (e.g. by piercing, surgery or cancer)
Several more ear deformities or anomalies can be treated with ear surgery, including the following:
- Decrease earlobes that are too big or stretched out due to jewelry or “ear stretching”
- reshape unnaturally shaped cartilage ears
- enlarge a very little ear
- if a child is born without an ear or an ear lobe, rebuild new ears.
- Large or undetectable creases
- Otoplasty is a safe and efficient procedure that may enhance the ear’s functionality and aesthetics while also enhancing the patient’s self-esteem.
What makes people possess it?
Who is appropriate & why do individuals have it?
The ears are a prominent element of the face, and they may significantly affect the harmony and aesthetic effect of the facial look if they are the proper size, shape, and placement.
Advantages might consist of :
- Enhance the ear’s size, location, and form, as well as its proportions, to reestablish symmetry.
- repair the ear structure that was faulty at birth
- reshape crooked ears
- Boost mental health and self-esteem
Who fits the bill?
If all of the following apply to a person, the Dr. Bashar Bizrah Clinic will deem them qualified for the procedure:
- projecting or prominent ears
- An uneven set of ears
- disproportionately large or oversized ears
- stretched or damaged ear lobes
- decreased self-esteem as a result of ear size or shape
- Unsatisfactory outcomes from an earlier ear pinning
What choices are there?
Otoplasty operations are frequently performed under local anesthesia, albeit occasionally general. This is dependent upon the scope, difficulty, and patient preferences of the operation.
Otoplasty, sometimes referred to as ear reshaping surgery, is a general term for a number of popular cosmetic surgical treatments that are intended to improve both function and aesthetics by changing the size and shape of the ear and earlobe.
Pinnaplasty, ear reduction, and ear correction are the three basic forms of ear correction. Other ear defects or deformities that can be treated with otoplasty include:
- earlobes that are too big or stretched out
- Changing the ear’s unnaturally shaped cartilage
- enlarging a tiny ear
- repairing birth defects-related ear deformities
- removing big creases or wrinkles
Here, we’ll examine the three primary otoplasty subtypes.
Pinnaplasty
A popular treatment to pin back large, projecting ears is called a pinnaplasty.
An undeveloped antihelical fold, too much cartilage in the concha, or a combination of the two are frequent reasons of protruding ears.
In this simple operation, the surgeon makes a cut near the back of the ear and then separates some skin from the cartilage. The altered cartilage allows the ear to sit closer to the skull. A dressing is put on the region after the wound is stitched up.
A surgeon can also fix ears that are not equally formed on both sides during pinnaplasty (asymmetrical).
If a patient feels self-conscious about the size, shape, or protrusive look of their ears, the simple operation can help them regain their confidence.
In most cases, ear pinning surgery is finished in within an hour.
Although adults can also have ear pinning surgery, toddlers and early adolescents often get pinnaplasty. Kids as young as six years old can have pinnaplasty. As the ears have grown to adult size by this time, it is frequently the best time to fix them.
As the ear cartilage is too delicate to keep the sutures in place, ear pinning is not recommended for children under the age of five.
Reduced ear size
As the name indicates, ear reduction is a cosmetic operation to make the ears appear smaller. Many patients choose this specific type of otoplasty because they believe that having ears that are too large and out of proportion with the rest of the face can cause significant anxiety and low self-esteem. Macrotia is the term used in medicine to describe excessively big ears.
The top or lower portion of the ear, or the entire ear, can be reshaped and made smaller by ear reduction surgery by the surgeon by removing extra skin and cartilage. The height and breadth of the ear can be reduced by surgery. Reducing enlarged ears will help the face look more balanced by making them smaller.
The hereditary nervous system condition neurofibromatosis can cause larger ears that are positioned incorrectly on the side of the head. Certain lymph tissue growths may also change the size of the ear, necessitating ear reduction surgery.
Aside from stretching earlobes, which is a typical issue brought on by wearing heavy jewelry often, skin tunnels—large holes made in the lobes as a result of body modification—can also be treated with ear reduction surgery.
Just the size of the ears is the sole goal of ear reduction surgery. If the ears are additionally projecting, pinnaplasty might be done in conjunction with the surgery.
The outcomes of ear reduction surgery are natural-looking and can significantly boost a patient’s confidence. Both adults and children can have this kind of otoplasty done.
Adjusting the ears
Surgery to address ear malformations that were either present at birth or brought on by trauma is referred to as “ear correction” as a catch-all phrase.
Microtia, a birth defect that can impair hearing, will necessitate ear correction surgery for infants. This can be accomplished by reconstructing the child’s ear using his or her own tissue, by putting a prosthetic framework under the skin, or by placing a prosthesis on top of the skin.
The majority of ear trauma injuries are biting or lacerated wounds that require immediate medical attention. Prior to performing reconstructive surgery, the injured ear is allowed to recover. The methods utilized are comparable to those for treating microtia.
A frequent ear issue that might benefit from ear correction surgery is “cauliflower ear,” which is brought on by a collection of blood in the outer ear. If the blood is not managed, it may calcify and scar, creating a thicker cauliflower ear. Rugby players and boxers are particularly prone to this illness. In order to restore the ear’s original form, a surgeon will peel the skin off the front of the ear. They will then thin out the thickened tissue.
In the event that the ear develops skin cancer, surgery will be required to repair the ear. Surgery is used to surgically remove and reconstruct this problem.
A loss of ear structure may result from infections brought on by piercings through the cartilage, such as a helix piercing. In extreme circumstances, the surgeon might have to use rib cartilage to rebuild the ear.
Surgery for otoplasty
To ensure that you receive the finest care possible, regardless of the nature of your treatment, we have asked a number of the nation’s leading experts to join us at the Dr.Bashar Bizrah Clinic.
How to prepare
You’ll find some important information below to assist you in getting ready for surgery and making the necessary preparations to make sure you get the support you require and that everything goes smoothly on the day of the procedure.
The discussion
All of our otoplasty patients begin by scheduling a consultation appointment with the physician we believe is most qualified to conduct their treatment. You will be able to discuss with your surgeon at the consultation what you aim to accomplish with the procedure and go through in depth what may or may not be feasible given your current anatomy.
Your surgeon will walk you through your alternatives and which, given your stated goals, is the best choice for you. After confirming this, a number of significant measures and conventional clinical photos will be obtained.
At your otoplasty consultation, you might want to ask the following questions:
- How many of these kinds of surgeries have you completed?
- What are my chances of success with this procedure?
- Which method will you choose to achieve the greatest results?
- Are there before-and-after pictures available for each surgery, and what are the expected outcomes?
- What are my choices if I’m not happy with how my ear surgery turned out?
- Last but not least, a thorough discussion of risks and side effects will take place along with a discussion of what to anticipate during the post-procedure and recovery phase. As part of the evaluation of your surgical readiness, your prior medical history, including any past surgeries, medicines, allergies, etc., will also be noted.
During a two-week “cooling down” period, if your surgeon determines that you are a good candidate for surgery, you are encouraged to decide whether you want to proceed with the procedure or not.
You are invited to visit the office as often as you’d like during this time to talk with your surgeon about your planned operation.
prior to the surgery
After your final consultation, your next visit to the Clinic will be the day of your surgery if you decide to move through with the treatment. The following behavioral adjustments are suggested or necessary prior to admission:
- We advise quitting smoking six weeks before to your treatment since smokers have a higher risk of problems and slower recovery.
- You must stop taking aspirin or any aspirin-containing medicine one week prior to your surgery.
- Just modest sips of clear liquids (such as still water, black coffee, or black tea) are permitted up to two hours before admittance during the six hours before to operation.
the day of
We ask that you attend for admittance one hour prior to the scheduled time of your treatment on the day of the operation. A nurse will now arrive and take your blood pressure and other pertinent vital signs. You will then meet with the anesthesiologist and surgeon, who will then make the final markups.
The actual treatment normally lasts one to two hours while being performed under local anesthesia. Before any incisions are done, you will first receive some anesthesia in the ear area. These incisions are often made in the ear folds or on the surface behind the ear.
In order to separate the skin from the cartilage, your surgeon will create an incision near the back of your ear. In order to move your ear closer to your skull, they will alter the cartilage’s form. Your surgeon may also make any necessary adjustments if your ears are not symmetrical (equally shaped on both sides). The method they use is determined on the objectives particular to your ear pinning treatment. Your surgeon will use permanent sutures to hold the cartilage in its new location after reshaping it. A tight bandage will be placed over your head to stabilize the ears in their new position after they covertly seal the incision with stitches.
Any scars must to be completely concealed behind the ear.
therapeutic remission
During the surgery, you shouldn’t have any pain, but you could feel some discomfort for a few days or weeks thereafter. If you require painkillers, you will be given them.
Depending on the scope of the treatment, you will recuperate in our ambulatory recovery rooms for one to two hours after the surgery. A headband will be on your head to speed up your healing.
You will be permitted to leave the Clinic with a friend or family member after our expert nursing staff is satisfied that your first recuperation is over and you are safe to return home.
After you are at home, you will have access to our devoted on-call nursing team every day of the week, 24 hours a day. Our team of professionals is committed to your ease and pain management, and they are available to answer any concerns you may have during the first few days following surgery.
To make sure your incision sites have been appropriately examined, we suggest that you see our nursing staff one week after surgery. At this point, we also advise scheduling a consultation with one of our aestheticians to go through continuing care that will promote the healing and scarring process.
After four weeks, we ask that you visit our office to see your surgeon for a final checkup.