You could easily be among those who are comfortable everywhere. Perhaps endowed with a strong personality that makes you less influenced by those around you. In this case, even having two visibly protruding ears may not cause you any embarrassment, and you may not want to undergo ear surgery. However, I can tell you that most people with this shape of the earlobe are not comfortable with it. Some may manage to hide it, usually by keeping their hair long or wearing specific caps. But it's just a temporary solution. In reality, they never truly get over it. Others suffer from it, strongly affecting their lifestyle and relationships. Reshaping your ears is an example of surgery that could literally give you a fresh start.
Before the Consultation for Ear Surgery
In preparation for the otoplasty consultation, I ask you, as with all procedures, to have a clear awareness of what you don't like about your earlobe and how you would like it to be. Try to experiment in front of the mirror with how you would like it to be folded backward. We will do these exercises together when you come to see me.
Consultation for Prominent Ears (Otoplasty): Preliminary Visit
During this visit, after examining your earlobe, I will explain in detail what the surgery can achieve. It is important that you understand that otoplasty corrects the protrusion of the earlobe and, at most, the size of the earlobe. The size of the ear itself is not altered. I will show you photos of results I have achieved previously, aligning your expectations with what is actually achievable.
Before Ear Surgery
Once you've made the wise decision to change what is bothering you so much, which is reshaping your ears, you will need to undergo blood tests and an electrocardiogram in preparation for the surgery. On the morning of the surgery, after resolving the paperwork and taking preoperative photos, you will be ready.
Ear Surgery (Otoplasty): How It Works
I want you to know that otoplasty is a quite flexible procedure. It can be performed under local anesthesia, with or without sedation, or under general anesthesia. It lasts about an hour. As you know by now, it involves folding back the earlobe by making an incision on the posterior fold of the ear. Sometimes, when the cartilaginous structure is very abundant, I may remove a part of it. You will have a scar here as well, as after any surgery, but it will be barely visible or not visible at all. The aesthetic result is immediate. You will see it when the first dressing is removed after 24-48 hours. In some cases, it may be necessary to reduce the size of the earlobe. This could involve a minimal additional scar initially visible on the front, but it tends to fade very well within the first few months.
After Otoplasty...
As you have just seen, after otoplasty, you will have a dressing to be removed after 24-48 hours. Once removed, you will need to use an elastic bandage to cover the earlobe for 24 hours a day throughout the first week. After this period, you will remember to use it for another 4-5 weeks, but only during sleep. The stitches are removed after 12-14 days. While you can shower daily after 48 hours. If your job is not physically demanding, you can resume it from the first few days. For sports, I recommend abstaining until complete healing of the wound (usually 2-3 weeks). Your postoperative check-ups will be at 1, 2, 4 weeks; 3-6 months. More frequent if necessary."
