Sticking ears cause discomfort not only in adults, but also in children. Therefore, the operation on the ears, so as not to stick out (the price is indicated at the end of the article), is one of the most popular.
But in order to decide on such changes, it is necessary to learn more about otoplasty (ear plastic surgery).
- What is otoplasty, features of the operation
- Types of otoplasty
- Aesthetic otoplasty
- Reconstructive otoplasty
- Who needs otoplasty: indications for
- Contraindications for ear correction surgery
- Operation methods, their features
- Classical otoplasty
- Laser otoplasty
- How is the ear correction surgery
- Rehabilitation period after otoplasty
- Complications and adverse effects of otoplasty
- How much does e ar correction surgery cost
- Useful videos on ear otoplasty
What is otoplasty, features of the operation
The procedure during which the shape of the auricles is changed is called otoplasty. Ear shape correction is performed surgically.
Otoplasty is indicated both for congenital defects of the ears and for acquired defects, for example, during an injury.
The operation to change the shape of the ears is performed regardless of gender, both for adults and children. Surgical intervention is performed under general or local anesthesia.
The type of anesthesia depends on the individual characteristics of the person and his age. As a rule, otoplasty is performed immediately on both ears, but in some cases only one auricle can be changed.
During the operation, the structure of the cartilage is changed. In order to hide scars, incisions are made at the junction of the ear and head. The methodology of the procedure depends on the problem.
In most cases, excess fat and cartilage tissue is excised, followed by suturing. After the operation, a fixing bandage is applied to fix the ears in the required position.
After a week, the seams are removed. During surgery, the use of self-absorbable sutures is permissible.
Types of otoplasty
There are two types of otoplasty: aesthetic and reconstructive. Each of them has its own characteristics. The type of otoplasty depends on the problem and the desired result.
Aesthetic otoplasty
Aesthetic otoplasty implies surgical intervention to change the appearance and location of the auricles. The reason for such manipulations is the unattractive appearance of the ears.
During an aesthetic operation, changes such as:
- change in the shape of the ear;
- resizing the auricle;
- elimination of hearing loss;
- elimination of bifurcation of the earlobe.
During surgery, incisions are made from the back of the ear. After the procedure, cosmetic sutures are applied.
In the postoperative period, wearing a fixative bandage is necessary.
2 weeks after the correction, the final result is visible.
Reconstructive otoplasty
Reconstructive otoplasty is a complex surgical operation to recreate or partially restore the auricle. The procedure for the restoration of the ears takes much longer than their correction.
The cartilaginous base for creating the auricle is removed from the patient’s rib. In place of the future ear, an additional supply of skin is created.
Subsequently, cartilaginous tissue is placed in the resulting pocket, which survives for 6 months. The final step is to recreate the desired shape of the organ of hearing.
Who needs otoplasty: indications for
Otoplasty can be performed at the request of any person. But, as a rule, for the operation to be performed on the ears, so as not to stick out (the price will depend on the type of operation), there are a number of indications.
The main indications include the following:
- hearing loss, a condition in which the ears are excessively protruded from the skull, the angle between the ear and the skull is about 90 degrees;
- irregular shape of the auricle (deformation of the auricle, or its underdevelopment);
- partial or complete absence of an ear.
The operation on the ears, so as not to stick out (the price depends on many factors), is safe, therefore it is allowed to carry out, starting from 5 years.
Consultation with a specialist is required to select an operation method.
Contraindications for ear correction surgery
Despite the fact that the type of procedure under consideration is not abdominal surgery, it has a fairly large number of contraindications.
These include the following:
- dermatological pathologies with manifestations on the skin around the ears;
- infectious diseases of acute and chronic course;
- During pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- period of exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- pathology of ENT practice;
- menstrual bleeding period;
- the presence of malignant neoplasms;
- HIV
- AIDS;
- thioertoxicosis;
- diabetes;
- bleeding disorder.
The operation of persons with these ailments can lead to serious postoperative complications.
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Operation methods, their features
The operation on the ears (so as not to stick out) can be performed by the classical or laser method. The price of each method is different. Each method of surgery has its positive aspects and features, therefore, the right to choose a method of therapy remains with the specialist.
Classical otoplasty
The classic method of ear correction is with a scalpel. The procedure takes a lot of time. The postoperative period after this method of therapy is protracted. The risk of developing noticeable scars with this operation is much higher than with laser otoplasty.
The considered type of surgical intervention, as a rule, is used for severe deformation of the auricle, or in its complete absence. The classic operation has a lower cost, so it is most often used.
Laser otoplasty
With laser otoplasty, all incisions are made using a laser beam. Compared with the traditional method of therapy, laser surgery has a shorter recovery period, less pronounced scar formation and fewer postoperative complications.
During the operation, bleeding is minimized, since laser beams immediately sealed damaged vessels. This method also prevents the subsequent inflammatory process and the process of suppuration.
How is the ear correction surgery
After a person turns to a specialist
for otoplasty, he is assigned analyzes and examinations. Without these procedures, surgery is not possible.
Before the operation, blood is taken for:
- general blood test;
- blood type determination;
- thrombotest;
- biochemical analysis;
- HIV research.
Also, before the operation, it is necessary to do fluorography and an echocardiogram . If no contraindications are found, the specialist examines and photographs the auricles.
This allows you to think about the shape of the future ear and its location. After examination and planning, surgical intervention is performed.
Different methods have their own subtleties of the procedure, but the basic principle is the same:
- The first stage is an incision on the back of the ear and detachment of the skin from cartilage. This allows the specialist to access the cartilage to change its size and shape.
- The second stage is performed if there is a need to change the location of the auricle. The specialist can change the location of the ear, fixing the cartilage with absorbable sutures.
- The third and final step is to fix the auricle cartilage in its original position, remove excess skin and apply final sutures.
Such an operation takes a little time, on average 1-2 hours.
Reconstructive otoplasty takes longer. Ear reconstruction is performed in 2 stages. First, a cavity is created from the skin under the future ear, after which an outer ear is created from cartilage.
The created cartilaginous frame is placed in a skin pocket and fixed in it. To create an auricle, it is necessary from 8 weeks to 6 months. The duration of the reconstruction depends on the complexity of the particular case.
Rehabilitation period after otoplasty
The result of the operation on the ears (so as not to stick out) largely depends not only on the course of the operation, but also on the postoperative period. The price of the operation does not include expenses for the postoperative period.
Tissues after surgery are regenerated in several stages:
- destruction (in the place of the cut tissue is damaged);
- exudation (puffiness occurs around the damaged area, provoked by the penetration of the liquid part of the blood into adjacent tissues);
- proliferation (rapid cell division, leading to the healing of damaged tissues and the formation of primary scar tissue);
- resorption (the severity of the scar decreases, excess cells die).
Each stage replaces the other. The recovery sequence cannot be changed.
The recovery period from the end of the operation to complete tissue repair on average takes about 30 days. During this period, it is necessary to follow all the doctor’s recommendations to achieve the desired result. The rehabilitation period is divided into two periods – early and late.
During the early postoperative period, it is necessary to carry out:
- Prevention of infection in the wound. Antiseptic dressings are applied to the wound, which must be replaced once a day, accompanied by wound treatment with furatsilinom or chlorhexedine.
- The fight against pain. With severe pain, experts recommend the use of pain medication, for example, “Ketanov” or “Nemisil”.
- Reduced swelling of tissues. The plastic surgeon applies tight dressings to reduce tissue swelling and prevent tissue displacement.
- Prevention of blood loss and bruising. Tight bandaging prevents blood from entering nearby tissues.
- Stimulation of tissue regeneration. During ligation, funds are applied to the wound that accelerate tissue regeneration, for example, Levomekol.
- Removing stitches if necessary. Removal of postoperative sutures is carried out in a week.
The duration of the first recovery period is 1.5 weeks. The late postoperative period implies a decrease in the influence of external factors on postoperative sutures and ears. The duration of the late rehabilitation period is 30 days.
Complications and adverse effects of otoplasty
Postoperative complications after otoplasty occur only in isolated cases.
Most of the complications that occur are due to the patient’s fault.
Most often, after otoplasty is observed:
- Keloid scar. In rare cases, instead of the usual scar, a thick, convex and cyanotic forms. The occurrence of such a complication depends on the type of human skin and its individual characteristics. This type of complications can be eliminated with special plasters and injections with hydrocortisone, and in some cases, surgically. But this does not give a 100% guarantee of scar removal.
- Bleeding and bruising. You can eliminate such complications by making an incision, which will allow excess blood to leak out. In this case, bleeding vessels should be cauterized to prevent the re-formation of a hematoma. This type of complication does not lead to a violation of the result of the operation.
- Pain syndrome. Due to the bandage applied, constant pain may occur. Also, pain can occur due to the onset of inflammation. In this case, an additional course of antibacterial drugs is required.
- Intolerance to surgical material , such as suture threads. If the body begins to reject the stitches placed, this will lead to suppuration and to the return to the original, defective position of the auricle.
In addition to these complications, another nuisance can happen – the results will not confirm expectations. Specialists do not always succeed in creating the shape of the ears that a person dreams of.
How much does e
ar correction surgery cost
The price of an operation on the ears (so as not to stick out) depends on the type, the pain medication and the method of the operation. An operation performed under local anesthesia is somewhat cheaper.
It should also be noted that in addition to the greater cost of general anesthesia, after its use, you should stay in the hospital for several days, which also increases the cost of therapy.
Type of operation | The average cost in usd. |
One ear shape change | 22000 |
Changing the shape of both ears | 32000 |
Laser operation | 35000 |
Elimination of deafness | 35000 |
The cost of services in various localities can be either higher or lower than indicated.
The operation on the ears, so as not to stick out (the price in USA is from $ 272), allows you to eliminate appearance defects without much effort and difficulties in the postoperative period.
Useful videos on ear otoplasty
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Features of ear surgery – consultation with a specialist in the field of plastic surgery:
Operation on the ears, so as not to stick out. The price of plastic surgery and the features of its calculation: