Plastic surgery abroad - Latvia

Ear correction or otoplasty, is a cosmetic surgery to change the appearance of ears, it can take vary in different forms, such as bringing the ears closer to the head (often called ear pinning), reducing the size of very big ears, or reshaping various bends in the cartilage.

Reasons to have otoplasty

Ear correction works with the unpleasant, deformed, absent (microtic) ears. Ear correction may contain a combination of moving, reshaping, adding, or removing structural ear elements:

to bring prominent ears closer to the head

As you see, otoplasty can help everybody, do not satisfied with the excessive prominence or irregular shape of their ears.

For example, children often suffer from appearance of their ears because it makes fun of by other children. Since ears are more or less fully developed by the age of four, parents could consider ear surgery for a kid at an early age. This will save him from the future sufferings and stress. At the same time you should also take into account your child's opinion about the operation. The surgeon can help to sculpt and create more natural looking, symmetrical ears and auricles that are in a more proper size with the head.

How otoplasty works

Oerations can be made under local anesthesia alone, local anesthesia with sedation, and under general anesthesia (which is generally the case for children). Most otoplasty surgery is performed as day surgery, some require a hospital stay. The procedure can take from an hour and a half to five hours depending on the problem.

The technique of the surgery depends on the specific problem. Usually the patients want their ears to be closer to the head and then the procedure is the following:

• The surgeon might make more incisions around the auricle during an ear reduction surgery. In that case, skin is removed from the cartilage the same way and the excessive cartilage is removed.

• the cartilage is sculpted and bended closer to the head, excessive cartilage is removed. Incisions are typically hidden near folds in the front when a part of this surgery

• the skin is put back over the ear and the wound is stitched with absorbable or nonabsorbable sutures.

• turban-like bandage is put around the head to protect the ears.

• Although the problem might only be with one ear, usually both auricles are operated, to ensure a better balance in the appearance.

Surgery can help with many other ear problems as well. For example when you have a very small or a little sagging ear (the upper tip of the auricle, to be more exact); stretched auricles, ear lobes or piercings; the ear structure is defective; natural folds and curves are missing, etc.

Before and after the surgery

You should consult with the surgeon before the surgery and provide him with medical records, especially about state of health at the moment and the seriousness of the problem.

The surgeon will give you exact dietary and medications instructions. Smoking is prohibited for some time, since it hinders recovery.

You should have painkillers (though usually people feel discomfort not pain) and think about how to get home after the surgery. The ears may ache or throb a few days after the surgery. The turban-like head bandage is removed about five days later and is replaced with a lighter bandage. The sutures are removed about a week later, if they are not absorbable.

You should pay special attention to keeping the wounds clean. The swelling usually goes down after two weeks. You should wait at least a month with more strenuous activities, but you can go back to school or work a week after the surgery. You can see the final result after six months.

Taking care of your ears

There are a lot of reasons for ear problems: frostbites, ear injuries, infections, tumors:

• External ear infections are different auricle infections. Auricles can have growth disorders and tumors, infections and injuries. Symptoms of the most common infection – ergotism – are redness of auricles and burning sensation

• shingles, which is caused by a herpesvirus. Symptoms are pain and a rash with vesicles
• auricle injuries might be hematomas, lacerations and wounds.
  Diseases connected with the external auditory channel include an infection with the following symptoms: pain and itching, also pyorrhea in case of a more serious infection
• earwax blockages are also connected with the external auditory channel. Generally, you need earwax to prevent infections, but it can impair your hearing and cause tinnitus when it forms a blockage that is hard to remove. You should see a doctor if this happens
• the most common middle ear infections are acute and chronic middle ear infection, secretory otitis, otosclerosis and other illnesses and injuries. Symptoms of acute middle ear infection are intense earache, rhinitis, cough, fever and poor appetite, in rarer cases also vomiting. Primary treatment is prescribing antibiotics, sometimes puncturing the eardrum.
  Symptoms of chronic middle ear infection are pyorrhea and impaired hearing.
• Inner ear infections are hearing loss, noise damage, tinnitus, etc.