Many people think about ear plastic surgery and modifying their shape. Despite the fact that this happens on an outpatient basis and under local anesthetization, some people still experience complications. Consider what otoplasty is, what indications and contraindications there are for such surgical intervention, its features and possible complications after.
What is otoplasty and to whom is surgery indicated?
Modifying the shape or position of the auricle is called otoplasty. Due to aesthetic considerations, everyone can make ear plastic surgery. This allows some to get rid of complexes. Most often, such an surgical intervention in the auricle is done in the presence of significant defects and only by a plastic surgeon.
Also, the operation can be performed for children with irregular shape of the ears, asymmetry, underdevelopment of the auricles, absence of components of the ear canal or their deformation. The operation does not apply to serious surgical intervention. It takes from half an hour to 2 hours and is carried out on an outpatient basis. Due to the different techniques and methods of otoplasty, it is important to consult a specialist before carrying out it.
Contraindications
When performing ear plastic surgery, the clinic and the doctor who performs the surgery should familiarize the patient with a number of contraindications, since this is an invasive intervention.
Patients with the following pathologies may be denied the procedure:
- clotting problems and an increased risk of blood clots;
- diabetes mellitus (can lead to the fact that the wound does not heal after surgery);
- the presence of acute viral or bacterial infections accompanied by high fever;
- otitis media, eustacheitis and other inflammatory processes in the auricle;
- oncology in the 3rd or 4th stage of development;
- hepatitis, AIDS;
- disorders in the thyroid gland;
- inflammatory processes of the jaw.
Specialists do not recommend women to undergo such surgical intervention during critical days. During menstruation, a hormonal change occurs, which can lead to poor blood coagulation. During pregnancy and during lactation, it is also better to postpone otoplasty, as there is a risk for the baby.
How much does ear plastic cost?
Changing the shape of the auricle is not an expensive procedure. Depending on the venue, as well as the nature and degree of surgical intervention on the procedure for ear plastic surgery, prices can vary from 20 to 100 thousand rubles. If this is the minimum degree of appearance correction, then the cost will be negligible.
How is surgery performed?
All operations that are performed on the ears can be divided into two groups:
- aesthetic - with the aim of minor correction of the auricles ;
- reconstructive otoplasty for gross or birth defects.
Earlobe plastic surgery can be performed using the classical method using a scalpel or laser (modern method). Laser correction has a large number of advantages, since in this case there is minimal blood loss and, accordingly, the risk of infection, which reduces the possibility of complications.
Rehabilitation
After ear surgery, it is important to follow all the doctor’s recommendations so that the rehabilitation period is successful and without complications. Conditionally, rehabilitation can be divided into two periods: early and late.
In the early rehabilitation period, which lasts up to ten days after surgery, it is recommended:
- use special antiseptic drugs and cover the wound with a clean dressing, it needs to be changed once a day, which will not allow the tissues of the auricle to shift;
- taking painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs;
- applying a tight dressing that relieves swelling and stops bleeding;
- seams are treated with special tools, which accelerates the regeneration of soft tissues.
At the moment, the scars are sewn with catgut, special elastic threads that resolve on their own after five or seven days. But this rehabilitation period is the most important after the operation, because it is at this time that inflammation can develop, or the sutures can separate.
In the late rehabilitation period, which lasts for a month, it is important:
- minimize the impact of negative environmental factors, the healing process depends on this;
- a diet with the maximum amount of easily digestible proteins (vegetables, chicken, fish and fruits);
- refuse at this time from smoked meats, spicy and fatty foods;
- alcohol and nicotine slow the healing process of scars;
- minimum physical exertion, this can displace stitched tissues and cause bleeding;
- avoid hypothermia or, conversely, very high temperatures (both cold and heat can adversely affect the healing process);
- a minimum of ultraviolet radiation, it slows down the process of tissue regeneration;
- shampoos or shower gels and their components can cause irritation on a wound that has not yet healed, so care should be taken when washing your hair.
Early complications after surgery
The postoperative period is fraught with some complications that occur in most patients after otoplasty.
Early complications include:
- hematoma and swelling of the auricles;
- scar bleeding;
- hypersensitivity and soreness.
If an infection has got into the suture area in the postoperative period, the inflammatory process of cartilage tissue may develop. This is expressed by severe redness and swelling, fever and severe pain. With such symptoms, you should consult a doctor in order to avoid more negative consequences.
In the first days after surgery, they take painkillers, which help relieve pain. Special ointments will help the tissue heal and stop bleeding. Edema, if it is not caused by an allergic reaction to a drug, goes away within a week.
Serious complications in the early postoperative period occur only in 1% of patients. Most often this happens when the patient does not follow the doctor’s recommendations or there was a medical error. It can be a sharp allergic reaction, more often in children or adolescents, inflammation and development of phlegmon, perichondritis. In this case, the operation is repeated.
Late complications after ear surgery
A few months after surgery to modify the auricles, complications called late may develop.
These late negative consequences include:
- asymmetry, when one ear is located slightly lower than the other (this happens when the surgeon chose the wrong surgical procedure);
- seam divergence (most often it is caused by infection or improper stitching of soft tissues, to get rid of this problem, they will correct or re-otoplasty);
- the formation of ugly scars (from celebrities who made plastic of the ears, Priluchny Pavel, a theater and film actor, notes that in this way he got rid of deafness and many complexes, while the scars are located behind the ears and they are not visible) - special ointments or excisions can solve this problem
If after surgery 3 months have passed, and one ear is still sticking out, this means that it turned out to be more sensitive to surgery. As a rule, everything goes away within six months. Otoplasty does not affect a person’s hearing, since the intervention is performed only on the outer part of the auricle. Serious late complications that occur in 1% of patients include hypertrophy of the scars themselves, necrosis, or tissue necrosis, and a deterioration in appearance.
Reviews
According to statistics, ear plastic surgery is most often done in order to get rid of hearing loss. In most cases, these are people at a already conscious age, children change the shape of their ears much less often, only in case of serious problems. At the same time, user reviews are only positive.
Some people note that in order to achieve a visually beautiful effect, they had to do otoplasty twice. Many did the procedure with different specialists. Regarding the course of the rehabilitation period, almost all noted increased swelling of the auricle, which was quite painful. Some left scars behind their ears.
A very small number of patients who underwent otoplasty share their negative experiences. Someone’s ears began to look even worse than they were before the intervention, some have survived the operation itself and the postoperative period. But all user reviews agree on one thing: you need to go only to a competent specialist.