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Most people don’t realize it, but your ears are one of the most visible parts of your body and it can be very obvious when they are damaged. Years of wearing heavy earrings and mistakes during piercing can often require cosmetic repair. Some people simply wish to have old holes closed, while others may want to change the shape of their earlobes. An earlobe repair can provide you with what you are looking for.
Before the Procedure
Patients should discuss with their physician their expectations for an earlobe repair. They should leave the consultation with an understanding of what will happen during the procedure, and what they should do after. As with any surgical procedure, patients should be in good health. They should also refrain from using tobacco products and medications containing aspirin. Tobacco use interferes with circulation and healing, and products containing aspirin or ibuprofen thin the blood and increase the risk of bleeding.
Procedure
Earlobe repair can be performed under local anesthesia. For a torn earlobe, the procedure consists of "freshening" the edges of the split by removing a small amount of skin. Then, using fine sutures, the split is stitched together. To change the shape of the earlobe, unwanted tissue is removed and the area is sutured.
After the Procedure
Patients can go home immediately after the procedure. Healing generally takes 4 to 6 weeks. Patients seeking to have their ears re-pierced should wait 8-10 weeks. The risks of earlobe repair are small, as it is a minimally invasive procedure. Risks may include swelling, bruising, bleeding and infection.
If you are unsatisfied with your ears or had a bad piercing, there is no reason to stick with something you do not like. If you are interested in earlobe repair, contact Dr. Batniji today at (949) 650-8882. Dr. Batniji is a board certified facial plastic surgeon located in Newport Beach, California.
Question:
My daughter is seven years old and has ears that stick out from her face. She’s always being teased about her ears, and my husband and I are contemplating an ear pinning procedure for her. I heard that the younger someone is, the easier this type of surgery is. Could you please tell me if this is true or not?
Answer:
The older we get, the more firm our ear cartilage becomes, thus making contouring of the ear cartilage slightly more challenging. The potential benefit of performing otoplasty prior to a child entering school is to minimize the appearance of the protruding ear and the surgery is easier to perform because the ear cartilage is more flexible. That said, this surgery can be performed safely later in life.
Question:
Do you offer earlobe repair, or "ear jobs" at your Orange County plastic surgery practice?
Answer:
I do perform surgery to reduce the size of large earlobes, or repair torn earlobes due to heavy earrings.
Also, I perform surgery to address the changes to the earlobes that can occur following a facelift. This change results in the earlobe being pulled down onto the lower cheek and is commonly referred to as pixie ear deformity. During facelift surgery, I minimize this risk by avoiding tension on the ear at the time of closure of the facelift surgery.
These procedures are rising in popularity in recent years. You can read more about them in this article from Daily Mail UK.
Question:
I've heard ear surgery is often performed on children. I wish I'd had it as a kid because I was always teased and called Dumbo. I'm an adult now and my ears still bother me. Is it possible to have surgery now?
Answer:
Yes, it is possible to have surgery to re-shape your ears as an adult. The surgery, known as otoplasty, is performed through an incision behind the ear (so the incision is well hidden) to re-shape the ear. In children, we perform the surgery under general anesthesia. For adults, I tend to perform this procedure under local anesthesia.
Posted by Rami K. Batniji, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Question:
I am the parent of a child who I believe is a good candidate for otoplasty. How big is the risk, if any, for hearing impairment as a result of this procedure?
Answer:
Risk of hearing loss following otoplasty is extremely rare. The surgery is designed to change the appearance of the outside of the ear and does not influence the ear drum, middle ear bones for hearing, and/or the hearing nerve.
Posted by Rami K. Batniji, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Question:
I am 35 years old, female and have a different sort of problem. I have very long, wobbly earlobes. This makes wearing pierced earrings impossible because it draws attention to the lobes. Is this a problem that can be fixed? I have never heard of earlobe repair and hope that you can do it.
Answer:
You have 2 options for earlobe repair. One is to make the earlobe smaller by removing excess tissue from the earlobe. Another option is the injection of filler material (hyaluronic acid) into the earlobe to make it stiffer; however, this option does not make the earlobe smaller.
Posted by Rami K. Batniji, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Question:
I am in the Marines and wear my hair short. I have been called all kinds of names because my ears stick out. If I opt for otoplasty, will I wear bandages coming home from the hospital? How long before my ears look good?
Answer:
Otoplasty is an excellent option for prominent ears. Following otoplasty, you will wear bandages at all times (except when showering) for one week. Following the one week, we ask that you wear a headband (like a sweatband) at night for the next 4 weeks. It takes approximately 1 week for the redness, swelling, and bruising to resolve after otoplasty.
Posted by Rami K. Batniji, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Question:
I want an ear pinning procedure done to fix my mousy ears. Are the incisions relatively small?
Answer:
The appearance of prominent, or mousy, ears can be improved with an ear pinning procedure called an otoplasty. The procedure is performed through a relatively small incision that is well hidden behind the ear.
Posted by Rami K. Batniji, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Question:
What is otoplasty?
Answer:
Otoplasty is a surgical procedure to reshape protruding or prominent ears. For an example of otoplasty results, please click here:
http://www.drbatniji.com/Otoplasty-Patient_2-1.html
Posted by Rami K. Batniji, M.D., F.A.C.S.
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