Surgery of the ear is a procedure to repair split ear lobes, reduce the signs of aging on the ears, correcting the shape of the ear and for bringing bulging ears closer to the head. Split earlobes usually occur as the result of the weight of heavy earrings on pierced ears or may be caused by trauma, such as an earring being pulled from the ear. The plastic surgeon can usually repair the earlobe in the office in about one hour using local anesthetic to reduce any discomfort. The split is stitched together with special sutures to minimize scarring. The stitches are removed in about 4-5 days, and you may have the ear pierced again in about three weeks.
Children with “Dumbo” ears or ears that appear too far away from the head can have this procedure performed to surgically bring the ears closer to the head. The procedure called Otoplasty can correct the shape of the ear. This is an outpatient procedure performed on children as well as adults. Since ears are almost fully grown by the time a child is five years old, children can have the procedure performed at an early age. The newest techniques address two problems with the ears: the shell shape of the ear and the fold which can be sculpted or reshaped to create a more natural appearance.
Local or general anesthesia is administered during the one to three hour surgery and stitches can be removed in one week. Postoperative bandages are applied to the head following surgery. Children recover in about one week and adults usually return to work in about five days. Other reconstructive ear surgery applications are available such as operations performed on the earlobes and forming new ears when necessary.
