Detailed below you will find summarised answers to a series of important questions on the functions, objectives and mechanics of the various types of ear surgery:
What Is Ear Surgery?
Ear surgery can be performed with a wide variety of goals in mind, including purely cosmetic in nature.
Commonly performed procedures include restoring symmetry to the ears, reducing the size of the ears and ‘pinning’ overly prominent ears closer to the head for a subtler appearance as well as precise and complex procedures to correct birth defects or address structural abnormalities subsequent to traumatic injury and tissue loss.
What Are the Main Purposes of Ear Surgery?
The requirements of every patient are unique, as are their physiological characteristics and the subsequent suitability for the various types of ear surgeries.
Most forms of ear surgery in both adults and teens are performed purely for cosmetic purposes.
Examples of which may include the reconstruction of tissues following a traumatic injury, the correction of superficial deformities, changing the shape or size of the earlobe, pinning back ears that protrude from the head and many more procedures.
Ear surgery can be a relatively simple or extensively complex procedure, in accordance with the requirements of the patient and the nature of the surgery required.
What Do I Need to Do to Prepare for Ear Surgery?
You surgeon will provide you with a full and detailed overview of everything you need to do prior to your operation. Dietary adjustments may be necessary if your Otoplasty ear surgery is going to be performed under general anesthetic – usually a period of abstinence in the run up to the procedure is required.
It is also important to disclose any medications or supplements you are taking with your surgeon as it may be necessary to adjust or temporarily suspend your intake. Smoking cessation and reducing alcohol consumption will also be recommended, as will ensuring you remain well hydrated with plenty of rest.
What Can I Expect on the Day of the Procedure?
It depends on the nature and extent of the surgery, but you can expect an additional consultation and evaluation to take place before the procedure begins. After which, you will either be placed under general anesthesia or the site of the surgery will be numbed using a local anesthetic.
Cosmetic surgeons work via small and discreet incisions in specific locations around the ears, in order to minimise residual scarring. What takes place during the surgery will be determined by the goals of the patient, which could mean the removal of excess skin and sub dermal tissues, restructuring the cartilage under the skin or inserting implants to create the desired ear shape and size.
Your surgeon will also prescribe you with the painkillers you need after the surgery so that you remain as comfortable as possible during the healing process.
How Long Does the Healing Process Take?
You are likely to be advised to book at least a week off work immediately after the procedure to enable the healing process to start. Most people can return to work within a week, but this differs in accordance with the extent of the work carried out.
The healing process will usually be complete within 6 weeks, though the full visual effects of the surgery may be immediate. Your cosmetic surgeon will provide you with all the information you need to ensure a safe and fast recovery after your procedure, along with any potential side effects to be aware of.
