Prominent Ear Aesthetics (Otoplasty)
Protruding ears are one of the most common anomalies in society and mostly affect the person aesthetically and psychologically. It occurs as a result of the inadequate development of the ear fold in the womb or the angle between the ear and the head being too large due to the cartilage structure called concha being larger than it should be.
When detected after birth, the ear can be shaped with taping techniques in the first week. If the problem is not treated within this 1-week period, correction is only possible with surgery.
Preschool period (5-6 years old) is considered ideal for surgery in order to avoid peer bullying that can be seen in children during school years and self-confidence problems as a result. However, surgery can also be performed on children older than 5 years old.
How is the Surgery Done?
While surgery for children is performed under general anesthesia, local and general anesthesia options for adults are determined according to the patient’s preference.
There are more than 200 techniques described in prominent ear correction surgery. Most of these techniques are similar and are actually done with the same logic; The main purpose here is to remove excess cartilage and make the upper part, which should be curved, curved.
In recent years, the long-used method of shaping the cartilage with non-dissolving stitches has begun to be abandoned due to problems such as opening of the stitches and the resulting reopening of the ear, as well as stitch reaction due to the use of non-dissolving stitches. Instead, methods of cartilage rasping and shaping the cartilage with long-term dissolving stitches have begun to gain popularity. Since these methods use dissolving stitches, the patient’s cartilage must be weakened and shaped, thus minimizing the possibility of re-opening and eliminating the possibility of a stitch reaction.
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Healing Process
After the surgery, the patient is discharged on the same day and bandages are applied to the ears for the first 3-4 days. Afterwards, the ears are checked, wound care is done and bandaged again. The bandage is removed after a few weeks. Then, intermittent bandage application is started and after approximately 2 months, the ear will be largely healed. Since dissolvable stitches are used in all steps of the surgery, no stitches need to be removed; the patient is recommended to only care for the wound with antibiotic cream.
Since bandage is applied for the first week, it is extremely important not to wet the surgical area in order to reduce the risk of infection and not impair healing. Afterwards, the patient can take a shower and dry the surgical area gently.
One week after the surgery, all patients can return to work, except those who need to use protective equipment such as hard hats and helmets at work. For patients using a helmet, helmet or cap, this period should be at least 3 weeks.
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Result
Otoplasty or prominent ear aesthetic surgery is an effective and highly reliable procedure that increases the person’s self-confidence. Thanks to the modern surgical techniques we use today, there are fewer post-operative scars, healing is faster and the final shape of the ear has a more natural appearance. At the same time, thanks to these techniques, the surgery The risk of post-operative complications is also extremely reduced.