Ears Oto means ear, and plasty means to shape or reform. The operation of Otoplasty means to reshape or reform the ear. The most common condition that warrants an Otoplasty is the prominent ear even though other ear malformations exist. The prominent ear is the ear that protrudes or sticks out too far from the head. Through an incision made on the back of the ear, surgical techniques, such as, cartilage removal and reshaping can be performed to restore normal ear shape. Incision The incision is usually placed behind the ear in the fold either adjacent to the skull or on the back of the ear itself. Additional scars may be occasionally necessary on the front of the ear. However these will be discussed with you if they are necessary. The correction is targeted to the problem cause. With an enlarged concha, part of the conchal cartilage is resected and the remaining ear cartilage is sutured back to the skull. The incision behind the ear is closed with a dissolving suture as shown on the following diagram. If the antihelical fold needs to be reshaped or refolded, the ear cartilage is then weakened by a series of carefully determined scratches on the front surface. This allows the new fold to form and to be maintained without the need for permanent sutures. The incision behind the ear is closed with a dissolving suture. It should be remembered that normally shaped ears are not flat against the head, but protrude a little from the side of the head. The procedure usually takes approximately one hour. After the operation is finished, the folds are held in position with silicone splints each side of the new antihelix fold and sutured in place Anaesthesia A long acting local anaesthetic is used and this gives pain relief for up to eight hours after surgery. What Dressing Is Applied After the ear has been splinted with silicone rods, a thick pad is placed over each ear and a bandage is wrapped around the head. The care of the dressing will be explained, but usually will be removed the day after surgery at which time the ears are inspected to rule out the presence of haematoma or infection. With no bandages in place, you will be able to resume normal activities almost immediately. The silicone splints, if used, will be removed after 7 days or so. They are easily hidden beneath most hair styles. After Surgery - What to Expect There is always some pain in the ears after surgery. This is usually of a throbbing nature similar to an infected or traumatised finger. If there has been a general anaesthetic used, the soreness is usually felt soon after you wake. However, if a local anaesthetic has been used, there will be no soreness for approximately 4 to 6 hours. In order to minimise the soreness we ask you to lie with your head elevated or propped up in bed with at least three pillows so that the head is higher than the level of the chest. This will help to reduce the swelling and consequently the soreness after surgery. Pain killers can be taken if the pain is becoming more severe and a prescription will be provided for you. Do not take aspirin for the pain. Severe pain can sometimes occur and this may indicate a problem with bleeding and haematoma. Whilst the bandages are on it will be a little difficult to hear normal conversation. The pain and soreness usually settles in approximately 48 hours. After that time itching is common. Do not use anything (eg pencils) to scratch as this can cause problems with your surgery. The residual suture under the skin will dissolve and does not need to be removed. Once the bandages are removed you can wash your hair normally using shampoo, although on the first occasion an antiseptic surgical soap is a good idea. The ears should not be pulled forward to wash behind them. Gently massage with the fingertips in the crease behind the ear. The hair should be dried with a hair dryer not too hot as the ear skin will be numb and easily burned. We recommend wearing a bandage loosely over the ears at night for the first week after the dressings have been removed as this will help prevent any problems with rolling over and accidentally "flipping" out the new ear position. It is also advised that any contact sport be avoided for one month although non-contact sports can be enjoyed in approximately two weeks after surgery. It will be noticed that the ears are a little swollen and a little bruised. This bruising usually settles quickly within 48 hours if it is present, but the swelling can take several weeks to fully settle. It will also be noticed that the ears are quite tender if bumped and that the rim of the ear is numb. This will begin to settle after four to six weeks but will not fully settle for twelve to sixteen weeks following surgery. This is a normal consequence of the ear setback operation. Complications Haematoma Bleeding between the skin and cartilage in the ear can create a haematoma. This is a rare complication, but it is easily recognised because of the severe pain that results. If severe pain is experienced in the post-operative period the surgeon should be notified immediately. Haematoma if left untreated may develop into a deformity called a "cauliflower ear" where irregular cartilage is formed in the collection of blood. Haematoma can also predispose to an increased risk of infection. Infection Infection can occur in any operation, but is a particular problem if it does occur after this surgery. The ear cartilage can be destroyed by the bacteria causing a significant deformity of the ear. It is fortunately very rare and minimised by the washing of the hair with an antiseptic soap pre-operatively. Scarring The incision behind the ear usually heals without a significant scar although all scars are apparent if they are looked for. On rare occasions, the scar behind the ear can become keloid or enlarged, red and very thick and this type of scarring would be able to be felt in the area as shown in the following diagram and it can be quite itchy. We suggest using our Libellula Anti-Scarring Healing Oil. There are small procedures which can be performed to help reduce thick keloid scars such as cortisone injections. These type of scars can develop many months after surgery. However, sometimes keloid scars do not respond to treatment and recur.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:01:32 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015