What is a Ear Reshaping Surgery?
The shape, size or positioning of the ears can make a huge difference to whether a person has confidence in their appearance or not, and for many years people have been choosing to have ear reshaping surgery to increase their self-confidence. Ear Reshaping Surgery is also known as Otoplasty and is a surgical procedure that is carried out to reduce the size of the ears, reshape the ears, or reset protruding ears so that they sit closer to the head. This very straightforward procedure can be carried out on both adults and children who feel their lives are being negatively affected by the appearance of their ears.
How is it done?
An Otoplasty can be done under local anaesthetic by either Mr Khan or an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon.
It generally involves:
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making one small cut (incision) behind the ear to expose the ear cartilage
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removing small pieces of cartilage if necessary
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scoring and stitching the remaining structure into the desired shape and position
An Otoplasty usually takes one to two hours. If local anaesthetic is used, you are able to go home the same day.
After the Surgery:
During the first few days after surgery, your ears may be sore and tender or numb. You may have a slight tingling sensation for a few weeks.
You may need to wear a bandage around your head for the first few days to protect your ears from infection. You won't be able to wash your hair during this time.
Some surgeons recommend wearing a head band at night for several weeks to protect the ears while you sleep.
There may be some slight bruising, which can last about two weeks. You may want to delay returning to work until the bruising has disappeared.
Sometimes the stitches may come to the surface of the skin or cause the ear to feel tender. Pain and discomfort can be treated with over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
You need to avoid swimming and activities that put your ears at risk of injury – such as judo or rugby – for several weeks.