Otoplasty

Otoplasty, also known as prominent ear surgery, is a surgical operation performed to correct this deformity in people whose ears are different from their natural form.

Commonly asked as "What is a prominent ear?" question, may answer with "the ear extends outwards from the head more upright than it should be". Otoplasty can be seen in various forms. Prominent ear surgery can be applied to anyone, especially at early ages, except for newborn children.

Prominent Ear Surgery: Procedure

Prominent ear surgery can be performed unilaterally or bilaterally, depending on the ear structure of the patient. It is always performed under general anesthesia in children at early ages and using local anesthesia or sedation in older children and adults.

Otoplasty can be done by applying different methods and procedures. These procedures can be listed as: Some involve reshaping with stitches on the cartilage, some shaping by weakening the cartilage, and some involve removing a piece of cartilage.

Since the cartilage tissue is softer in childhood, the auricle is usually intervened with stitches. Other methods are more proper for adults. If the problem is caused by the overgrowth of the concha in the cartilage, a piece of cartilage may need to be removed.

Prominent Ear Surgery (Otoplasty): Good Candidates

The condition of having prominent ears is mostly seen in school-age children. Children with this deformity may also be affected by psychological and environmental reactions. If it is determined by the parents and the doctor, an elastic bandage can be applied to the babies within the following 3-4 weeks after birth. This treatment is largely getting a positive result and there is no need for surgery afterward. The ideal period for children is 6-7 years of preschool. The ear completes its growth until the 5th. From this age, surgery can be performed at every age.

Prominent Ear Surgery: Recovery

There is no intense pain in otoplasty, that is, prominent ear surgery. The bandages are changed several times in the first week on the ears, they are removed then. If dissolvable stitches were not preferred, these are also removed in the medical follow-up. It is recommended that the patient should keep their protective gear and dressings while sleeping for 1 month. While some improvement can be seen in the tissues within 2 months of the operation, it should have waited an average of 6 months for the full recovery.