Cosmetic ear surgery

Cosmetic ear surgery (otoplasty) is most commonly made aesthetic surgery for children, when very large or prominent ears are moved closer to the head. The shape of the ears is genetically inherited from parents or grandparents. Ears finish to form at the age of 6-7, and the surgery is advised after the formation. It is important to make this surgery before the kid goes to school to avoid harassment by other children. “Normal ears” have a distance of 1.5-2 cm between the head and the earlobe and have all the typical wrinkles.

Surgery. Surgery is usually done under local anesthesia, although sometimes general anesthesia is needed. The surgery is totally painless, although accompanied by some normal surgery sounds – and 6-7 year old kids can easily cope with the surgery. Surgery lasts for about 1.5-2 hours. During the surgery, a part of the cartilage is removed and new antihelix fold is formed, the ear shell gets smaller, it gets inclined and moved closer to the head. After the surgery the ears are covered with a special thick bandage, and the patient can go home on the same day . The bandage has to be worn for a week, and the patient has to try not to sleep on his/ her side. The stiches are removed in one week. For 6-8 weeks the patient will have to wear a special sports bandage on the ears; the ears might be a bit sensitive to touch and hard. All these changes disappear in 6-8 months.

The surgery requires experience and aesthetic sensibility from a surgeon, who needs to assure that the new ear shape is natural, without any signs of the surgery and that the result is permanent.

Cosmetic ear surgery (otoplasty) before and after in Lithuania, Plastic Surgery Clinic in Kaunas