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Ear surgery, or otoplasty, is
surgery to reshape the cartilage of the outer ear,
and is meant to reposition, flatten, or reduce the
size of the ears. Having protruding ears can have
a huge impact on self confidence. As ears are almost
fully formed by the age of 7, this procedure is
often performed on children.
Procedure
During surgery with Dr. Chartchai in Bangkok, he
will remove or reshape a portion of cartilage from
the back of the ear and use permanent sutures to
make the ear lie flatter. The surgery takes 1-2
hours for both ears. Either local or general anesthesia
is used.
Recovery time
You will wear a bulky bandage for 2-5 days to help
with the reshaping, possibly followed by an elastic
headband for 4-6 weeks. Your ears will be swollen
and may ache, throb, or look red. The stitches will
be removed in a week, after which you can return
to work or school. You will not be able to sleep
on your side for 2 weeks. Strenuous activity and
contact sports should be halted for 4-8 weeks. Swelling
will not completely resolve for about 6 months.
Possible complications
Your hearing should be unaffected, but bleeding
and infection can occur. You may have some numbness
and scarring. A blood clot may form on the ear and
this will need to be drained. The results should
be permanent but the problem can recur.
Typically ears stick out if there
is too much cartilage in one part of the ear or
cartilage in another area isn't sufficiently curled
back. Because this procedure works against the ear's
natural condition, there is a chance the repair
could give way and the cartilage snap back to its
original position. This is more likely to happen
if the surgery is done as an adult, when the cartilage
is firmer and more difficult to remold.
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