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Ear Lobe Repair
One common reason for cosmetic surgery of the ear is for repair of injuries to the ear lobe. Earrings may cause elongated holes, keloids, or tears in the lobule. Repair of the ear lobe is usually done with local anesthesia in the office and takes about 45 minutes depending on the extent of injury. Earrings are not worn for 8 wks.
Otoplasty
The other major cosmetic ear procedure, otoplasty, is done for protruding ears. This may be done for adults of any age and for children as young as five years old after the ears have stopped growing. The cartilage is reshaped restoring the natural architecture of the ear, bringing it closer to the head.
The Procedure
The procedure takes two hours. Adults usually have local anesthesia and go home the same day. Cultura uses general anesthesia on children, which means they will stay in the hospital for 24 hours after surgery. Cultura makes an incision behind the ear and trims away excess skin and cartilage. He puts stitches in the cartilage to create folds that weren't there before and makes small adjustments to give the ear a natural appearance. What it amounts to, in many cases, is "repositioning" protruding ears. (Since this is a congenital condition, otoplasty is covered by insurance if it is performed by age 17.)
After the Procedure
Otoplasty patients experience very little pain, although your ears may feel tender for several weeks. You can expect some discoloration and swelling. Following surgery, you'll wear a turban-like dressing to protect your ears (adults, two days; children, five). After removal of the turban, you'll wear an exercise headband over your ears when you sleep for the next two weeks. Children usually return to school a week after surgery. Adults often resume normal activities the day after. You can wash your hair five days after the procedure, but you'll need to avoid anything strenuous for three weeks. Don't be concerned about scarring. The thin scars from incisions are located behind each ear and well hidden by natural folds of skin
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