• Overly large ears – a condition called macrotia
• Protruding ears occurring on one or both sides in varying degrees – not associated with hearing loss
• Adult dissatisfaction with previous ear surgery

You may be an appropriate candidate for ear reconstruction if:

• The cartilage in the ear must is fully developed, usually around age five to six.
• You are self-conscious about the size and/or shape of your ears.
• Your ears are not symmetrical.
• You are in good health.
• You have realistic expectations.
• If the parent has the child’s best interest at heart.
• Cooperative and follow instructions well
• Able to communicate their feelings and do not voice objections when surgery is discussed
• Individuals with a positive outlook and specific goals in mind for ear surgery
• Nonsmokers

Ear surgery is a highly individualized procedure and you should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image.

There are many common problems that warrant the consideration of otoplasty or ear reconstruction surgery.

When your child is being teased about ears that stick out, have a certain shape, or are unbalanced, it can become a very stressful situation. When it bothers your child to the point of impacting their self-esteem, it may be time to consider ear plastic surgery.

The caring professionals at AESTHETIC INTERNATIONAL® can help parents and patients determine if surgery is the right option for them and will walk you through the details of the procedure and recovery process.

• Anesthesia is required. Your surgeon will decide what type of anesthesia.
• An incision is made just behind the ear, where the ear meets the head.
• Any extra skin and/or cartilage is removed.
• The surgeon will sculpt the cartilage to its desired shape.
• Stitches are used to “pin back” or secure the ears into place.

• The only restriction for otoplasty is ear development. The ears need to be fully grown before a person can have this procedure. Believe it or not, human ears are usually finished growing at age four.
• This is a good time to have otoplasty with any of board-certified plastic surgeons because the surgery can be completed before the child begins school, where teasing could be a problem if the ear protrusion isn’t addressed.
• As for an upper age limit, there is not one.

• For children, we usually opt to use general anesthesia. This alleviates problems with nervousness. We will give you instructions on eating and so forth for the night before your child’s surgery.
• As for adults, you’ll need to stop taking anti-inflammatory medications, any blood thinning medications, and most supplements a week before your procedure. You’ll only be under local anesthesia with sedation, so you won’t need to fast.
• Otherwise, there aren’t any preparations necessary except maybe preparing your bed with extra pillows and the like to keep you from rolling onto your side when asleep.

• Your results are immediate, but initially your ears will be covered with bandages.
• Swelling isn’t much of an issue with these surgeries, so once we remove those bandages, you’ll see your results.
• If we’re bringing the ears closer to the head the change will be obvious.
• If we’re repairing something like a torn earlobe, you’ll love the repair.
• For earlobe repairs, the thin vertical scar will continue to lighten and become less noticeable as the weeks pass.

• When this surgery is complete, your surgeon will have your head or your child’s head wrapped in special heavily padded cotton bandages, referred to as “fluff bandages.”
• After a few days these will be replaced with surgical dressings that need to be worn for the remainder of the first week.
• At that time, stitches will be removed.
• Due to the blood pressure in the area, there will be some throbbing for a couple of days, but that can be managed with pain medication.
• Patients need to avoid sleeping on the affected ear or ears for about two weeks.
• Children can return to school after about one week. Adults often won’t need an entire week, although this varies by the patient.
• Surgical scars are either hidden behind the ear or well hidden within the natural creases of the ear.

• You may have heard that ear pinning surgery makes for quite a painful recovery. This isn’t the case. It is true that it is tolerated more easily by children, but even adults usually only need pain medication.
• It is helpful to make sure you remain on your back when sleeping. It can be a painful if you roll onto your side and onto your repaired ear. You can make sure this doesn’t happen by strategically placing pillows on your sides.
• As with any pain, different patients have different tolerances.

Children can usually return to school after about one week, but recess will need to be limited in activity. Adults may not need that much recovery time. This varies with the patient.

• You’ll want to simply avoid contact with your ears (or your child’s ears).
• We’ll provide initial bandages that will protect the ears.
• After these are removed, you’ll need to avoid shirts you need to pull over your head and other clothing that could be a problem.
• Hats are out, as they can bump your ears. No glasses for a bit.
• For sleeping, you’ll need to arrange pillows or whatever you need to keep you from rolling onto your repaired ear or ears.
• Although it probably won’t impact your sutures, rolling onto your ear will provide quite a jolt of pain.

• There are the same risks as with any surgery: bleeding, infection, poor incision healing, and the like.
• Otherwise, this is a very low-risk procedure. The upside of a child not having to deal with protruding ears or an adult finally not worrying about his or her ears far outweighs the minimal risks involved with otoplasty.

• During your initial consultation, you will meet with the plastic surgeon and staff.
• Your previous surgeries, your medical history, medications you are presently taking, and your overall physical and emotional health will be reviewed, as well as your skin quality.
• Photographs may also be taken for your medical record.
• Your surgeon will determine what you benefit from most and whether or not additional procedures such as inner ear reconstruction surgery will be necessary for you to achieve your desired results.
• Recovery time, risks and limitations associated with surgery will be also be discussed.
• The doctor’s patient coordinator will review surgical costs and scheduling with you.

Once you have decided to pursue a otoplasty, Aesthetic international® stands ready to partner with you during this life decision.

We are dedicated to our patients and open communication is never compromised. The better informed our patients are, the better they are at making their decisions.

We believe in providing the highest patient care and through your assigned patient advisor, you can be sure every consideration is made to ensure your expectations are the same as the final results.

Aesthetic international® has the latest technological advances to ensure your satisfaction with your breast lift.