Ears that protrude too much are commonly known as "wind catchers". Ear plastic surgery is to put the protruding ear close to the head. Children's ears have developed close to adults at the age of 4, so most operations are performed between the ages of 4- 14. The earlier the operation time, the less ridicule and psychological harm the child suffers; But unless the child asks to change the shape of the ear, there is no need to force the child to have an operation. Adult ears can also be surgically corrected.
Operation method: Young children need general anesthesia. Older children or adults can have local anesthesia so that they can go home on the day of the operation. Ear pulling surgery takes 2-3 hours, and more complicated surgery takes longer. The most common method is to make a small incision behind the ear to expose the cartilage, cut the cartilage properly and bend it backwards, and then keep the new shape of the cartilage with suture. If the ear is too big or the cartilage is difficult to shape, some cartilage may be removed to make the ear contour more natural. Unilateral ear can only be operated unilaterally; But sometimes in order to make the shapes of both sides consistent, it may be necessary to do binaural plastic surgery at the same time.
Complications: If the operation is performed by a competent doctor, the complications are usually few or minor. Sometimes there will be hematoma in the ear after operation; This needs to be pulled out with a needle or absorbed by yourself. The cartilage of the ear is occasionally infected, which will lead to scar formation; Infection is usually controlled by antibiotics, and sometimes surgical drainage is needed. If the wound does not heal well, the ear may recur.
Postoperative treatment: the stitches were removed in about one week. You can go back to school or start work 5-7 days after operation. A few weeks after the operation, the school teacher should be asked to pay attention to the child's ears. There will be a scar behind the ear after the operation, which will gradually degenerate with time. After operation, the affected ear should be bandaged with pressure to prevent hematoma formation, which is beneficial to auricle shaping. Sutures are usually removed in a week or so. Activities that may bend the auricle should be avoided for several months after operation. You can go back to school or start work 5-7 days after operation. A few weeks after the operation, the school teacher should be asked to pay attention to the child's ears.
Besides the ear flap, some other ear deformities can also be corrected to some extent by surgery. For a child with dysplasia, the doctor can rebuild a new ear.