What is Ear
Surgery?
By
Gray Rollins
Ear surgery, also called otoplasty, is a surgical procedure
designed to improve the appearance of prominent or protruding
ears.
It is one of the few cosmetic surgeries that can be
performed on children, since an individual’s ears typically
stop growing by age five. Children and adults with severely
protruding ears are often the subject of persistent teasing by
their peers, resulting in psychological stress and mental
anguish. Ear Surgery can eliminate this problem by pinning
protruding ears back so they lie closer to the head. In fact,
it is recommended that children with severely protruding ears
undergo otoplasty at a very young age so the problem can be
corrected before any teasing begins. Young children also tend
to recover faster than do adults, making it an ideal time to
perform the surgery.
Most ear surgeries are performed on an outpatient basis,
although some doctors prefer to keep children overnight for
extra monitoring. The surgery itself is usually only one to two
hours long, depending on the complexity of the procedure.
General anesthetic is recommended for young children. Older
children and adults will generally undergo otoplasty with just
a local anesthetic to numb the ear and the surrounding tissue.
A two to three inch long incision is made in the natural crease
just behind the ear to hide the incision from view. This exposes
the underlying cartilage, a soft pliable tissue that gives the
ear its unique shape. Depending on the extent of the
protrusion, the doctor will either weaken the cartilage and
bend it into its new shape or remove excess cartilage to
achieve the desired results. The cartilage is secured using
permanent sutures to keep it from moving back into its natural
shape. Once the cartilage is secure, the incision is closed and
sewn back up.
Following the
surgery, patients wear a thick, tight dressing to cover and protect their
ears. After a few days, a more lightweight bandage can be used. Ear surgery
patients may find they experience mild to moderate discomfort during the
first several days of the healing process, but this pain can be easily
controlled by over the counter medications such as Tylenol or through a
doctor-prescribed prescription pain reliever.
Recovering
patients may find it difficult to sleep initially, since many people rest
their head on their ears while sleeping. A soft pillow may help to alleviate
some of this discomfort. Sutures are removed approximately one week after
the procedure, assuming the surgeon did not use dissolvable sutures.
Complications arising from ear surgery are rare, but like any surgery
otoplasty is not completely risk free.
Your surgeon will discuss potential
side-effects of the procedure with you in advance of the day of your surgery
so you are aware of what to expert post-surgery, and so you have realistic
expectations of the procedure. Complications may include nerve damage that
results in a temporary loss of sensation in the ears, scarring, infection, a
localized reaction to the sutures used, or asymmetry of the ears.
Individuals interested in learning more about ear surgery and how it can
improve their appearance should make an appointment with a plastic surgeon
with strong track record of successful otoplasty experience.
About The Author: Gray Rollins is a featured writer for CosmeticSurgeryHelp.
To learn more about ear surgery visit,
http://www.cosmeticsurgeryhelp.com/ear/ and
http://www.cosmeticsurgeryhelp.com/ear/earsurgeryprices/
Tips For Healing Faster...
1. Eat Healthy well balanced meals.
2. Exercise regularly.
3. Sleep adequately and well... pay special
attention to sleep hygiene.
4. Drink 8 - 10 glasses of water daily.
5. Practice the habit of deep abdominal
breathing for 15-30 minutes every day at the same specific time.
6. Eliminate stress from your life.
7. Practice positive thinking.
8. Recommended Tapes and CD's :
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