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Otoplasty - prominent ears
The operation is commonly done on children over age 4. Ears are almost fully grown by age 4, and the earlier the surgery, the less teasing and ridicule the child will have to endure. Such teasing doesn't usually start until children enter primary school, and develop a concept of peer group normality. Ear surgery on adults is also performed and there are generally no additional risks associated with ear surgery on an older patient. When ear surgery is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon complications are infrequent and usually minor. Nevertheless, as with any operation, there are risks associated with surgery and specific complications associated with this procedure. A small percentage of patients may develop a blood clot on the ear, this may may dissolve naturally with time, or may need to be drawn out with a needle. Occasionally, patients develop an infection in the cartilage, which can cause scar tissue to form. Such infections are usually treated with antibiotics; rarely, surgery may be required to drain the infected area. Assymmetry or difference between the two sides, may occasionally be noticeable, and might rarely need further surgery. Numbness of parts of the ear may also occur. Your surgeon recommends that parents stay alert to their child's feelings about protruding ears; don't insist on the surgery until your child wants the change. Children who feel uncomfortable about their ears and want the surgery are generally more cooperative during the process and happier with the outcome. In the initial meeting, your surgeon will evaluate your child's condition, or yours if you are considering surgery for yourself, and explain the most effective technique. He will also give you specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery.
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Besides protruding ears, there are a variety of other ear problems that can be helped with surgery. These include: "lop ear," when the top seems to fold down and forward; "cupped ear," which is usually a very small ear; and, "shell ear", when the curve in the outer rim, as well as the natural folds and creases, are missing. Surgery can also improve large or stretched earlobes, or lobes with large creases and wrinkles. Cleft earlobes (usually due to ear-rings pulling out) are easily fixed. Surgeons can even build new ears for those who were born without them or who lost them through injury.
