Do you feel the need to grow your hair to keep your ears hidden at all times? Do your ears spoil the look of your beautiful face or attract unwanted attention? Your ears should not be a source of embarrassment or cause you to feel insecure. If the look of your ears is causing you to insecure and unconfident then an otoplasty may be exactly what you need to feel good about the way you look again.

What Is an Otoplasty?

An otoplasty, also known as an ear surgery, can help you change the shape, proportion, and position of the ear. It creates a natural shape and brings proportion back to your face. Even minor corrections can do wonders to your overall appearance.

Determining Candidacy for an Otoplasty

You will make a great otoplasty candidate if you were born with an ear structure defect such as macrotia, experienced a traumatic injury that affected the shape of the ears, or your ears aren’t symmetrical with other parts of your face.

The Otoplasty Procedure

To begin the process, your surgeon will examine your features and determine a plan of action that will help satisfy your needs. Depending on the extent of the surgery, your surgeon may decide to use general, IV sedation, or local anesthesia.

An incision will be made behind the ears to expose the cartilage. It will then be reshaped and repositioned. Your doctor will also remove any excess skin and close the incision. Your surgeon may utilize two major techniques to perform this surgery. They are:

  • Cartilage scoring technique: Incisions are made in the cartilage to reshape them by adding, removing, and rearranging the tissue. Though this creates post-surgical marks, they are not very easily visible.
  • Cartilage sparing technique: This technique uses sutures and stitches to reshape the ears rather than cutting the cartilage. This is a minimally-invasive method.

Many surgeons use one or both of these techniques to create the best results. Reconstructive surgery is used for issues where the outer structure is damaged due to birth defects or major injuries. Many techniques are combined to deal with this.

Often cartilage from other areas of the body is taken to help reshape and resize the target area. If skin needs to be grafted, your surgeon will also determine the best place to take the skin. The surgery may last for a couple of hours, but could be longer if it is performed on both ears.

When Can You Resume Your Normal Routine?

Adults going through the surgery are able to return home the same day; however, they are not advised to drive immediately after surgery. You will need to ask a friend or a family member to be available to take you home after the treatment.

Usually within three days, both adults and children who undergo the surgery, can return to their normal routine schedules. Ears can’t be pulled or bent for at least a month. You might experience some discomfort and minor swelling, which usually subsides within a week.

An otoplasty can be a great way boost one’s self-confidence. The method is safe, effective, and is not known to cause any major side-effects.

Contact Our Office

Interested in learning more about an otoplasty? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Burke Chegar to discuss the benefits of the treatment. He is double-board-certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Otolaryngology. Using his skills and expertise, he will help you get the results you desire. Contact us today to get started!