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Otoplasty (Ear treatment)

Otoplasty (Ear treatment)

Otoplasty (Ear treatment)

  • Otoplasty is the medical term used for the surgical procedure that seeks to improve the shape and position of the ears. Ears can be large and disharmonic in both children and adults. The alterations in shape or size of the ears can create a feeling of great discomfort to the patient, that may even opt to hide ears under their hair.
  • Otoplasty in adults is usually performed under local anesthesia with sedation, but in children the surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia.
  • To approximate the ears to the head, the incision is placed behind the ear, along the crease that forms the ear with the head, so it goes unnoticed. There are different techniques to perform otoplasty, some of which are based on the weakening of ear cartilage, which can change its shape, and others are based on the application of a few stitches to align the structures. The goal of both techniques is to produce an anatomically proportionate and natural ear, restoring or maintaining the grooves (helix and antihelix) and normal angles.
  • After the operation it is common to apply a dressing for 3 to 5 days, after which they will be removed, but the ears can still show the remains of swelling or bruising. During the postoperative period, bands are frequently used to keep the ears close to the head during sleep and at the same time to prevent the patient from mobilizing the area during sleep.
  • On the other hand, ear lobes where the earring holes have been opened too much or are torn (by the continued use of earrings or avulsion injuries of the earrings) can be repaired by the total closure of the hole and recreation after a few weeks later. In ears that the lobe is too large in proportion to the rest of the ear (very common in elderly), it is possible to decrease the size of the lobe and can be carried out during the intervention of facial rejuvenation through facelift.
  • Therefore, surgery is best indicated for:
  • -Adults and children over 7 years of age, both men and women who want to improve the appearance and harmony of the ears.
  • There are congenital difference between both ears (one shorter than the other one) this pathology is called Microtia, in witch the surgeon have to recreate the cartilage (from a rib graft, scalp graft or prosthesis) to make them look the same. This procedure have to be done in several steps.