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210 722 2070
Otoplasty
Improve your appearance and psychology by correcting the discrepancy with otoplasty or ear plastic surgery.
Otoplasty - A solution for protruding ears
Otoplasty or ear correction is the procedure used to correct protrusion or other cosmetic problems of the ears. The ears are a dominant feature of our face, as they are in a prominent place, along with the eyes and nose.
The relationship of the size and shape of the ears to the rest of the face is important for a harmonious image. The plastic surgeon needs to focus on improving the aesthetic of the ears, therefore, their appearance. Disharmony in the appearance of the ears, as well as the rest of facial features, can affect a person’s psychology negatively.
It also affects the way others see them, as well as the way they see themseves.
Otoplasty
Improve your appearance and psychology by correcting the discrepancy with otoplasty or ear plastic surgery.
Otoplasty - Procedure goal
Otoplasty aims at correcting possible imperfections or deformities of the ears, so that they do not draw attention or catch the eye. The result will greatly contribute to boosting the patient’s confidence and feeling more comfortable with their appearance in general.
Regarding women, they will be able to have their hair pulled back, and men, if they so wish, will be able to cut their hair very short, without feeling insecure about the size or shape of their ears.
Ear augmentation aims at ear symmetry and a more harmonious ratio with the rest of the face, so that they go unnoticed and annoying comments can be avoided.
Ideal candidate for otoplasty.
The appearance of our ears and whether they are harmonious or not relates to the size and thickness of the cartilage. The cartilage is an element of the ear located under the skin. Under normal circumstances, it folds, so that the auricle is located at a distance of 1.5 – 2 centimeters from the back of the head.
An ear is described as protruding when the auricle is than 1.5 – 2 centimeters away from the back of the skull. There are great variations in how protruding an ear can be, as well as in which third the deformity appears.
This can be verified by dividing the ear into the upper, middle and lower third and observing which third is farthest from the back of the skull. The upper and middle thirds are usually the ones that are further away. In some cases, it may be only the upper part, while in others all three thirds are far from the back of the skull.
The protruding ears correction degree of difficulty with otoplasty depends on how hard the cartilage of the ear is. The size of the ears plays an important role as well, that is, how big are the ears that need correction.
The age from which a person can undergo otoplasty is after the 5th-6th year. The ears have fully developed by then as in an adult, resulting in neither their shape nor their size changing further.
In cases of large or protruding ears needing correction, otoplasty should be done at that age, to avoid peer’s comments at school. We all know how easily bullying can negatively affect child psychology.
The procedure
Concerning the correction done on protruding ears, several techniques have been recorded over the years. The most prevalent are those which offer the best results with the smallest risk of complications and problems.
In classic otoplasty, the approach for the correction of the cartilage is done from the back of the ears. Otoplasty can be performed under local anesthesia if the patient is an adult, while if they are a child, it needs to be done under general anesthesia.
During the operation, a small piece of skin is removed from the back of the ears. Afterwards, the doctor gains access to the frontal surface of the cartilage and, after reducing it, he carves it, either with a special scalpel or with a laser, in order to fold it and create the ridges that characterize a normal ear.
In some cases, the doctor may need to place sutures into the cartilage to make sure the result is permanent. After all the necessary modifications are completed on the back of the ear as well, then it is “closed” with special sutures.
Afterwards, a special bandage is placed around the head for 6 days. After the otoplasty, the patient takes antibiotics for a few days as a precaution and they should visit the doctor again after 2-3 days, to be re-examined and make sure that everything is progressing smoothly.
This method applied to protruding ears for their correction is performed with special, delicate handling by the plastic surgeon Apostolos Gaitanis, so that it is as atraumatic as possible, and any bruising and swelling remains at the lowest levels possible.
Healing and returning to normal activities is the purpose of this procedure.
Incisionless Otoplasty - New Method
Although classic otoplasty, with the incision made in the back of the ear, offers very good results, another technique without scars can be used alternatively.
In this case, the doctor folds the cartilage and the pinna using special sutures, with local anesthesia without creating scars on the ear. There must be specific indications in order to use this technique, that is, the cartilage must be quite malleable.
To make sure that a patient is suitable to undergo otoplasty with this alternative method, they can visit the doctor to be consulted accordingly. This technique, with the special non-absorbable sutures that give the cartilage the desired shape, is usually done under local anesthesia.
Ear imperfections - deformities correction
The ears demonstrate different types of deformities which can be corrected with the help of plastic surgery- one of them being their size.
In certain cases, the ears may be quite large, or their length may appear too large in relation to the shape of the face. Therefore, their size needs to be reduced. This is achieved by folding the protruding ears, bringing them closer to the scalp, a fact that aesthetically reduces their size. If the size of the ears is too large now, the doctor can reduce it by removing a piece of total thickness from the top of the ears, reducing the curve of the pinna.
This operation can be performed under either local or general anesthesia, as well as combined with the correction of protruding ears. The only downside to this technique is the thin scar created on the back of the ears. Another spot that can be easily corrected with otoplasty is the lower part of the ears.
If the lower part of the ears (lobule) is disproportionately large in size, then a piece of it is removed, leaving a thin line on the front and back of the new lobule. This is something that the plastic surgeon will assess and after a discussion with the patient, they will choose whether to proceed.
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