Cosmetic Ear Surgery: A Look at Otoplasty
Dr. Hadi Rassael knows that different facial features can make a big impact on your overall appearance. Facial cosmetic surgery means taking all features into account to enhance your appearance. This understanding of how facial aesthetics are interlinked is why so many patients throughout the Washington DC area visit his practice. The ears can make a particularly big difference to the look of your face, which is why otoplasty is such a great surgery to consider.
About Otoplasty
Otoplasty refers to the reshaping of the cartilage of the ear in order to improve its overall shape and size. Otoplasty is sometimes also referred to as ear pinning and ear reduction, though these procedures each refer to different aspects of the cosmetic reshaping of the ears.
Who would benefit from undergoing otoplasty?
There are a number of people who would benefit from an otoplasty. If you have ears that are very large or that protrude from your head, they can dominate your facial features. Otoplasty helps reduce the prominence of the ears and can improve your overall appearance. This is a great way to overcome self-consciousness.
If a person has experienced an ear injury that has resulted in a deformity or disfigurement of some kind, otoplasty is also a good idea for reconstructive needs.
Ear surgery can be safely performed on children as well as adults. In fact, many children undergo otoplasty in order to avoid teasing from peers. This is a great way to prevent problems with self-confidence when a child is older.
What kind of anesthetic is used for otoplasty?
This depends on the age of the patient. For the vast majority of adult patients, local anesthetic tends to be used. With younger patient, it's more likely that general anesthetic will be used simply to reduce anxiety and improve the surgical experience.
Different Methods of Performing the Actual Surgery
There are a few different ways that the ear surgery can be performed:
- Cartilage Scoring - This technique involves incisions made to the cartilage in order to remove and reshape the structure of the ears as needed
- Cartilage Sparing - This technique uses sutures and stitches in order to reshape and reform the cartilage of the ears without the need for incisions
In addition to the above, cosmetic ear surgery can also address issues with the ear lobes, repairing them if they have been injured in some fashion. This has become more and more common as people seek to reverse the stretching of their earlobes, a consequence of the gauging fad from recent years.
The ideal option for you and your needs can be discussed during the consultation process. Each surgery is carefully tailored to meet the patient's needs.
Recovering from Ear Surgery
Patients can expect a certain amount of soreness and discomfort in the first days after healing. This is normal and can be reduced through ample rest and taking pain relievers as directed. When resting, patients should have their head elevated and avoid sleeping on their side.
Bandages will be wrapped around the patient's head for these first few days to protect the ears from harm; these bandages will be replaced with much lighter bandages after a few days. Follow-up visits will be scheduled as needed in order to monitor the healing process in the days and weeks ahead.
It is important that patients not wash their hair for roughly one week after otoplasty. It's also important that patients avoid strenuous physical activity until advised otherwise by their surgeon.
Discuss Your Options for Advanced Facial Cosmetic Surgery
If you would like to learn more about cosmetic ear surgery and how it can be of great benefit to you and your needs, it's important that you contact our cosmetic surgery center today. The team here at Millennium Medical looks forward to meeting you in person and helping you make the best decisions about your health and wellness.
