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Ear Cosmetic Surgery Basics

Contrary to some old wives tales, pulling on your ears does not make them larger. Also individuals with large or abnormally shaped ears do not have better hearing than the next person. For those people whose ears are larger than most, they have heard all the stories and all the names like Dumbo, pitcher ears, Mickey Mouse and radar. The teasing and taunting that children with ear problems put up with can undermine their self-confidence and self-esteem. That is why ear cosmetic surgery (or otoplasty, if speaking in technical terms) is recommended at an early age.

Ear cosmetic surgery is one of the few procedures when being a child is beneficial and recommended. A person’s ears stop growing usually between the ages of four and seven, which is also the time when many children are being subjected to the taunting and teasing that can be so detrimental to their emotional stability. When ear cosmetic surgery is performed on a child, they recover a lot more quickly and have fewer lingering effects than an adult who goes through a similar procedure.

So who exactly is a good candidate for ear cosmetic surgery? Well, we know that being young is beneficial. In addition, anyone with ears too large for their head or ears that project out is a good surgery prospect. People with big, stretchy ear lobes or who might even have overly small ears also consider ear cosmetic surgery. Other good candidates include those born with abnormalities or had accidents involving the ear. People missing the cartilage that forms the outer shell of the ear also should consider ear cosmetic surgery.

The biggest reason why surgeons prefer to perform this otoplasty procedure on children is because the cartilage in their ear is very pliable and can be formed into a pleasing shape more easily. The second most important reason is that the child will benefit greatly from the surgery and not have to live with the teasing, unlike an adult who lived with the experience and would still have the emotional scars. Plus, when the otoplasty is performed on an adult, the cosmetic surgeons have to deal with cartilage that is less flexible, which makes creating a new shape more difficult.

The surgery usually takes a few hours – anywhere from one to four, depending on if both or only one ear is worked on. Adults can have the ear cosmetic surgery on an outpatient basis for the most part and can go home within a few hours of being in the recovery room. Some of the ear cosmetic surgeries for children can be handled the same way, depending on the type of anesthesia that is used. Otherwise, hospitals like to keep the child overnight for simple observation to ensure no complications crop up.

Many adults are given local anesthesia while the children are often given general anesthesia, which puts them to sleep. Most incisions are made behind the ear. The surgeon will peel back the skin to reshape the cartilage and even remove some skin if needed. Sometimes cartilage is clipped or shaved as part of the ear restructuring process. If the ear protrudes, permanent stitches are used to fasten the cartilage back a bit so that the ears rest closer to the head. Once the reshaping process is complete, the skin is smoothed back over the cartilage and stitched back together. For the most part, the scars are barely visible and will fade with time. Hair covers up some of the surgical work too.

Recovery takes a week or two, depending on the procedures used in the ear cosmetic surgery. Many doctors will want their patients, both children and adults, to wear a surgical headband around their head. This headband will not only protect the ears while they heal, but also keep any permanent sutures used to pin the ears or reshape the cartilage from pulling apart, thus avoiding a second procedure to correct any problems.

As always, there are risks with any surgery. Infection, blood clots and swelling are just a few of those risks. However, if recovery directions from the surgeon are followed, patients will be up and around in no time. Once the bandages have come off and the ear is healing nicely, the results are almost immediate. Girls will start pulling their hair back because they no longer want or need to hide their ears. The insults and taunting will stop and the kids and adults who underwent the ear cosmetic surgery will feel more confident about their appearance.

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