Plastic Surgery

Many people suffer from a malformation of the ear.  This problem, while cosmetic, can cause years of personal trauma as children are teased for being "Mickey Mouse" or "Dumbo" because of their large ears.  There is plastic surgery that can be done on the ear to reduce this trauma.  What are the risks and procedures involved in plastic surgery for the ear? 

The first thing to consider when planning plastic surgery for your ears is the timing of the procedure.  It is best to do the procedure on children after their ear is almost fully-grown.  Around the age of five, the main cartilage of the ear is fully formed and plastic surgery can be performed.  The earlier the procedure is done, the better for the psychological development of the child.  Young children who undergo the treatment do not have the emotional scars of those who have lived their young life with malformed ears.  

A good plastic surgeon will take multiple pictures of the ears of the patient looking to undergo plastic surgery.  This helps the doctor to plan the surgery, creating a symmetrical look from all angles.  The best plastic surgery results will look good from all directions, not just from the front. 

The plastic surgery procedure begins by putting the patient under anesthetic.  In children, general anesthesia is used.  For adults, a local anesthetic is sufficient, combined with a sedative.  Once the anesthetic has set in, the doctor will make the incision.  The incision is usually located behind the ear as this reduces the appearance of the scars.  The cartilage is exposed and the first step is to reshape the cartilage.  Often, excess skin needs to be removed.  The ear is then placed in the desired position and stitched back in place.  

Recovery from plastic surgery of the ear is relatively short.  It is an outpatient surgery and the patient will find that their head is wrapped in bandages when they are done with the surgery.  The bandages will be removed after about a week of healing.  The bruising and swelling related to the surgery goes down after about two weeks.  Children can go back to school, or adults can return to work, after a week of recovery time.  

As with any surgery, there are a few risks involved with plastic surgery of the ear.  In children who will be undergoing general anesthetic, there is a risk of reaction to the anesthetic.  Other risks include a blood clot in the area of the surgery.  This is easy to treat and if it does not dissolve on its own, it can be removed with a small syringe.  The cartilage around the surgery site can become infected.  If the sutures loosen, the ear can return to its original position, causing a need for another surgery. 

The most frustrating, however rare, side effect of plastic surgery on the ears is an over correction of the problem.  This happens when the surgeon overcompensates for the deformity and puts the ears too close to the head.  This mistake is difficult to fix.  These are the risks you take if you undergo ear cosmetic surgery.