Ear Correction Surgery : An Overview

Not many people know about it, but in today’s world, you can get the ears of your choice. All hail the plastic surgery! Yes, you read that right, it is possible! These days, it is quite common that people who are not comfortable with some features of their face contact a plastic surgeon to get their desired ones. And getting your ears redone is one of the examples.
Popularly known as otoplasty, this is something worth a read. Let’s delve into the details:

What Is An Otoplasty?

Otoplasty is a type of cosmetic surgery that involves the ears. It involves the adjustment of shape, size, or position of your ears with surgery performed by a plastic surgeon. Informally, it is known as cosmetic ear surgery.
Otoplasty does not involve the whole ear but only the outer ear is known as the auricle. It is a common misconception that the auricle of the ear is comprised of bone. In fact, the auricle of the ear contains many cartilage folds that are covered by skin.
These cartilages start to develop when the baby is inside the womb of the mother, and the growth continues until many years after birth.
There is a chance that auricles may develop differently or improperly hence making it a birth default, which leads to lower self-esteem or social embarrassment in later life. So, otoplasty is the savior in that case.

Why Does A Person Need Otoplasty?

Many people would think why a person needs an otoplasty. So here is why:
• A person has misbalanced, disoriented, or abnormally sized ears by birth as in:
a. Abnormally large ears (the condition is known as macrotia)
b. Pointing outwards or protruding ears on both sides
• A person’s ear has been damaged following an injury.

What Are The Different Types Of Otoplasty?

Otoplasty can be of different types. Let’s look at the details:
1. Ear Augmentation Surgery: This is the surgery for people who tend to have smaller than normal ears. In other words, their ears haven’t been developed correctly. So, ear augmentation surgery is used to enhance the size of the ears and make them look like normal ones.
2. Ear Reduction Surgery: This is the surgery for people having a condition called “macrotia” in which the ears are larger than normal ears. In this surgery, the size of the ears is reduced to make them look as normal as possible.
3. Ear Pinning Surgery: This is the surgery for a condition in which the ears of the individual stick out of the sides of their head abnormally. Ear pinning surgery is done to draw the ears closer to the head.

Who Should Have An Otoplasty?

This is an important factor to consider before deciding on the surgery. If your ears look normal, but you want them another way, that does not make you a candidate for the surgery. So, the following are the suitable candidates for the otoplasty people who:
• Have ears protruding from the head.
• End up having an abnormal shape of one or both ears due to some trauma or as a result of injury or as a result of a birth default.
• Have abnormally sized ears, either big or small.
• Previously had an otoplasty but want a revised surgery.

Once the reason is established, the following factors make a person a good candidate for the surgery:

• Minimum 5 Years Of Age: In the 5th year after birth, the child’s auricle is 90% developed. Before this age, it is not advisable to perform the surgery.

• Non- Smoker: A non-smoker is a suitable candidate for surgery as compared to a smoker. As the person who smokes may have decreased blood flow to the area, which leads to slow healing.

• Overall Good Health: A person having good overall health that does not involve any underlying disease is a suitable candidate for the surgery. As the disease may lead to complications.

What Are The Risks And Possible Complications?

You must choose a good plastic surgeon for your otoplasty, as getting it done by inexperienced surgeons would lead to certain complications and risks. There are many good options available for otoplasty in Pakistan.
You must be aware of all the possible risk factors of the surgery if you plan to have one. Here, have a look:
1. Excessive bleeding or formation of a hematoma
2. Infection that could occur both in the skin as well as cartilage of the ear.
3. Numbing of the ear or a side of the face. This numbing could be both temporary or permanent.
4. Never-ending pain.
5. Ending up with a narrowed ear canal of the external ear.
6. Permanent and visible scar.
7. Keloid formation
8. Impaired healing
9. Undesired result
10. Recurring of problem

Consultation Before The Surgery:

Before going under the knife, there will be a consultation session with your plastic surgeon who will take you through the procedure. The session will be a detailed one where firstly you will have to discuss the problem that you have.
Tell your doctor about the expectations that you have in your mind, and he will tell you the best outcome that you could. If you have any questions in mind, this would be the right time to clear your confusion.

Final Verdict:
If you have a deformity in your ears that you desire to be changed and with certain good options on hand, you must not refrain from undergoing surgery. All you need is the right doctor, and you are good to go!
About Us:
Are you looking to get your otoplasty done correctly? Let Dr. Arif Hussain do this who goes the extra mile to satisfy every single patient of him fully. He will not disappoint you after having years of experience in cosmetic surgery and performing hundreds of successful ear correction surgeries in Pakistan.
He makes use of cutting-edge technology as well as up-to-the-minute surgery tools, in particular, the power X machine. This is how he gets in the bag maximum client satisfaction.
Please get to know about our client’s feedback for a better idea.