The procedure
Otoplasty or surgery of the ears is a simple procedure that corrects the ear auricles which appear much separated from the scalp.
It is not a gory operation but a fast one with permanent results. The best age for a child to have the procedure is from 3yrs old or before s/he starts school life. A part of the cartilage of the ear will be surgically removed. The scarring will be behind the ear and very discreet.
Postoperatorio
You only stay about 3-4 hours at the clinic before you go home.
The stitches will be removed in 7-10days.
The ear reaches its definitive size between three and four years old, therefore this is the ideal time to have the operation, this way the child avoids any psychological trauma and being ridiculed at school.
The intervention
It requires the extraction of a bit of cartilage of the ear and the suture which is found in the back area; the scarring will be well hidden in this area also.
The intervention will last an hour.
It requires general anaesthetic for children and local anaesthetic with sedation for adults.
Recovery time is only a few hours at the clinic before you go home.
Post operation
For the first few days you should sleep with your head raised and without doing any strain. In general there will be swollenness and redness of the ear.
The stitches will be removed in 7-10 days.
Return to work /school will be in one week.
Complications
All surgical procedures run inherent risks which include haemorrhage and infection.
The haematoma occurs in 1.5% of all cases.
Infection has an incidence rate of 2.2%
Asymmetry between the ears.
