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Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Newport Beach and New York City

Surgical & Non-Surgical Ear (Otoplasty) Procedure

Some people consider protuberant ears to be unattractive, especially those who have been teased by their peers. Fortunately, there’s an effective way to correct this– through a surgical procedure known as otoplasty. This returns the ears to their natural orientation and configuration.

What Is Otoplasty?

Otoplasty is an ear surgery done to improve the position, shape, or proportion of the ear. It’s used to treat a defect in the ear structure which has been present since birth and has become more noticeable as the person grows. It’s also performed in order to treat misshapen ears due to injury.

Through the help of ear surgery, reconstruction of the ears returns them back to their natural shape bringing balance and proportion to the face and ears. The correction of minor deformities such as ear shape can provide many benefits to a person such as; a boost to their self-esteem and self confidence in their appearance.

What Ear Plastic Surgery Can Treat

– A rare condition known as “macrotia” or overly large ears.
– Protruding ears occurring on both or one side in varying degrees, but doesn’t result in loss of hearing.
– Adults who are unsatisfied with a previous ear surgery.

What Happens During Otoplasty

The surgical procedure starts with medications being administered to the patient to ensure comfort throughout the procedure. The choices include general anesthesia, local, or intravenous sedation. Your surgeon will advise you on the best choice.

Surgical techniques are utilized to increase or create the antihelical fold and to reduce the enlarged conchal cartilage. The incisions made during ear surgery are usually on the back surface of the ear. When it’s necessary to make the incision on the front of the ears, they are made within the folds to conceal them.

In Beverly Hills, Dr. Nguyen uses internal, non-removable sutures to create and hold the newly shaped cartilage in place and prevent them from moving.

External stitches are done to close the incision. The techniques used for this depend on the surgeon, and it should be done carefully so as not to distort other structures and prevent an unnatural “pinned back” appearance after surgery.

Ideal Candidates for This Procedure

Children and adults are candidates for otosplasty, especially those who are:
– Physically healthy and do not have any life-threatening illness nor chronic ear infections.
– A Child who is 5 years old or above. The ear cartilage should be stable enough to handle correction.
– Have the ability to communicate their feelings and have agreed to undergo ear surgery.

For adults, they should be:
– Healthy individuals who don’t have medical conditions or life-threatening illness that could affect their hearing abilities
– Have a positive outlook on life and believe that ear surgery could help them reach their goals.
– Non-smokers.

Recovery Process

After surgery, it’s completely normal to feel some discomfort, this can be controlled with the help of pain relievers. Aside from that, there may be some itching under the bandages. Despite this, it’s very important for the bandages to stay in place and not be removed. Failure to do so may lead to complications and the need for a secondary surgery to correct it.

Make sure to ask your surgeon specific questions regarding what you can expect during the recovery period, and this includes the following:
– Where you will be taken after the surgery is complete.
– What medications are prescribed after surgery.
– Will there be bandages and dressing applied after surgery and when they will be removed.
– Will the stitches be removed and when.
– When can you resume daily activities.
– When to return for follow-up care.

As a patient, it’s important to note that the practice of medicine and surgery is always improving. Although excellent results are always expected, results are not guaranteed. In some situations a second surgery may be needed to produce the best possible results. Always look for a plastic surgeon who you can trust and has an excellent reputation.

The good thing about ear surgery is that immediate results can be seen, especially in cases of protruding ears. Once the dressing has been removed, you’ll be able to see that your ears look better and are in their natural shape.

“I have been a client of Dr. Nguyen’s since 2007 and before that have been to various Beverly Hills plastic surgeons. I immediately felt so comfortable with Dr. Nguyen and his staff; he is so knowledgeable about all the procedures he performs.

– Carol S.

Otoplasty – more information