When the ears are not positioned close enough to the head or they are of bigger size to the normal they look protruding and asymmetric to the face and head. The operation to correct this deformity is otoplasty and is usually performed on children up to 14 years old as ears are almost fully grown. Otoplasty can also correct other ear or earlobe deformities, i.e. cupped ear, lop ear, shell ear and can even work when the entire ear is missing or undeveloped.
The procedure is performed under general anaesthesia at takes up to two hours. A small incision is placed on the back of the ear and through it the skin of the ear is dissected away from the cartilage, which is the ear's framework. Next the cartilage is sculpted or excised partly and bent back and fixed with non-absorbable stitches to the desired position. Finally, the wound is stitched and bulky dressing with head bandage is used.
After the procedure, the patient keeps a head bandage on for one week. Sutures are removed two weeks later or they will be dissolved. Most adults can return to work in 4-5 days after surgery while children need about seven to ten days to go back to school provided that they are careful with athletic activities. Bruising and swelling can last between 10-14 days. Complications are minor and infrequent but do include haematoma, infection and the possibility of developing hypertrophic scars that might need revision.
