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Guide To Cosmetic Surgery - Eyelid urgery

Ear surgery

The medical term for this is ‘otoplasty’ or 'pinnaplasty' and this is the 3rd most popular procedure for men. It is surgery undertaken to correct sticking out or ‘bat ears’ and is a particular problem for men rather than women.

The ears can protrude or look misshapen which is `distressing to the patient. If the patient is a young child then they can be subject to bullying or teasing because of this.

This is a popular choice of procedure for many parents: surgeons will perform surgery on children under 14 although they set a minimum age of 5. The reason for this is that the ears (and cartilage) are fully grown by this age.

The advantage of performing this surgery on a young person or child is that the cartilage is more pliable and therefore easier to reshape.

Protruding ears can be bent back towards the side of the head to give a more natural and pleasing appearance. This procedure is known as ‘pinnaplasty’ or ‘ear pinning surgery’.

Suitability for ear surgery

The majority of patients are children and their suitability will be based upon their health and the degree of abnormality. If their ears do protrude to an extreme degree, are unbalanced or they have larger than normal ear lobes then surgery is an option.

Reasons for surgery, emotional factors and medical history will be taken into account. This applies to all types of cosmetic surgery.

This surgery can be carried out on adults but the results are not as good as they would be for a child. The reason for this is that the ear cartilage is more flexible and easier to manipulate in a child than an adult.

Plus, children gain greater benefit from this surgery and at an earlier stage. The results are likely to be longer lasting and more satisfying.

Children are more likely to experience ridicule and teasing about their ears and so surgery is likely to stop that.

Preparing for surgery

Children

If you are a parent of a child who has protruding ears then you will find that you will be given a set of guidelines on pre-surgery preparation at your consultation with the surgeon.

These guidelines will include advice on what to eat and drink before surgery, and the time of your last meal. The general rule is no eating or drinking at least 6 hours before surgery.

If your child is taking any prescription medication then mention this to the surgeon. He or she will advise you about what your child can take (or not) before and after surgery.

It is important that you do so as some medications can increase the risk of complications. Aspirin and anti-inflammatory medicines can affect wound healing and may cause excessive bleeding.

The surgeon will take a full medical history. He or she will ask your child (or yourself if the child is of a very young age) if they have a medical condition or have undergone surgery before. If your child has had surgery before then also mention this.

If your child has undergone surgery in the past but experienced a bad reaction to the anaesthetic then it is important that you mention this.

Surgery is safe but complications do happen and the surgeon will want to be sure that your child is fit and healthy enough to undergo this type of surgery. This equally applies to adult patients.

Adults

If you are an adult and a smoker then you will be advised to stop at least 2 weeks before surgery. One of the many problems with smoking is its ability to deprive the tissues of the body of oxygen which affects wound healing.

Basically, if you smoke then your recovery will take longer than that of a non-smoker. You may also find that the results of your surgery are not as good as a result of this.  

If you could give up altogether then that would be ideal but if not then stop for at least 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery.

As well as the guidelines issued by surgeon, you will have things to sort out at home for your post-operative recovery. It is a good idea to arrange these in advance rather than having to deal with them when you are less than your best.

Your recovery means getting plenty of rest and recuperation. This means having enough painkillers and any other recommended medicines, ice packs, dressings, scar reducing creams, ready prepared meals and bottled water.

If you are employed then arrange for time off from your employer. You are looking on average, at a week away from work although this can very between individuals.

And, don’t forget to arrange for someone to drive you to and from the hospital. If you have had a general anaesthesia then you will feel groggy and generally ‘out of it’ and driving a car is not recommended.

The ear reshaping procedure

This surgery is usually carried out under a general anaesthesia although a local with sedation is an option. It takes around 1 to 2 hours to complete.

The surgeon will make tiny incisions in the back of the ear to reveal the cartilage. He or she can then reshape this cartilage by bending it back towards the side of the head which pulls the ear into a new position.

Another option is to make a small incision in the back of the ear and remove a patch of skin. The surgeon will then stitch the cartilage into a new ear shape which means no cartilage is removed.

The incisions are closed with a series of tiny stitches which will also hold the ear in place. These may be dissolvable which means they will disappear over time or the traditional ones which require removal at a later date.

A few of these non-dissolvable stitches may be needed to prevent the cartilage from bursting through the incision.

A large support bandage (or wool dressing) is placed around your head to cover the ears. This will prevent any swelling or bleeding between cartilage and skin and must be worn for at least a week.

Recovery

This can vary from one patient to another. Children are usually up and about quickly as are the vast majority of adults.

If your surgery has been carried out under a general anaesthetic then this will mean an overnight in hospital. However, many of these cases are performed as day surgery which will mean that you are able to go home the very same day.

You may prefer to stay overnight with your child if they have had general anaesthesia.

What you can expect is some pain and discomfort. Your ears will ache and throb for the next few days although painkillers will deal with this. The large headband style bandage will be removed after a few days and you will be given a much lighter head dressing. This will need to be worn for the next couple of weeks.

If you have the traditional type of stitches – the ones that need removing, then these will be taken out a week following surgery.

The recovery time on average, is 5 days for adults and a week for children. Adults and children can return to work/school after this time but will need to avoid any contact sports or activities which could bend the ears.

You will be expected to attend a series of follow up visits which are there to check on your progress.

Benefits of ear surgery

These include natural looking ears which are in balance with the rest of the features as well as being aesthetic looking.

In the case of a child it can mean no more teasing or ridicule about protruding or misshapen ears. This will enable them to rebuild any confidence lost as a result of this and they will feel a lot happier in the long run.

Adults who have had this surgery also report an increased sense of confidence and happiness in general.

Risks of ear surgery

Complications are rare with this type of surgery but you do need to be aware of what can go wrong.

There are complications which apply to any type of procedure. These include the following:

• Bleeding
• Adverse reaction to the anaesthetic
• Poor or delayed wound healing
• Infection
• Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung)
• Deep vein thrombosis

Some people experience some mild side effects as a result of having a general anaesthetic but this tend to be short lived. These include nausea and dizziness but they do disappear after a few hours.

It is a good idea if someone can take you home after surgery and stay with you for the one night. This means that they are on hand in case you feel worse or something goes wrong.

The chances of this happening are very small but things can go wrong and if they do then you will need to contact the hospital immediately.

If you notice any of the following once you are back home then seek urgent medical treatment:

• Chest pains
• Shortness of breathing or difficulty in breathing in general
• A racing or irregular heartbeat
• Signs of infection (redness, unexpected discharge from the ears etc)
• Excessive scarring such as ‘keloids’ (angry, red, raised scars)
• Excessive bleeding
• Sudden, intense pain

There are some situations in which the patient is unhappy with the results. If so then further surgery may be needed.