Ear Pinning Newport Beach & Orange County

There are many surgical approaches for correction of the congenital lop-ear deformity. Many decades ago, surgeons used skin excision only with a great tension closure to reposition the ears. Studies showed that the cause of these deformities is the irregularities in cartilages. Therefore, modern otoplasty started to focus on the correction of the deformed cartilages. One of the causes of this deformity is the absence of a well-formed antihelix rather than simply an excessive angle of the ear from the head. To correct this deformity the surgeon must create a new antihelix by making a curvilinear incision on the cartilage and fold it over and then secure it with permanent sutures. Several other techniques are available which primarily use suturing to set cartilage position and contour. These approaches provided a more natural shape and minimized the unsightly ridges accompany­ing incisional and excisional methods. Mustarde Technique Mustarde technique is a multiple transcartilaginous permanent mattress suture to construct the antihelical fold. This method had the additional advantage of precisely setting the amount of antihelical folding by adjusting the tightness of the sutures. Furnas Technique Furnas technique uses sutures extending from the conchal bowl to the mastoid periosteum and from the scaphoid fossa to the temporalis fascia. Webster technique effectively combines newer and older techniques, using skin excision, resec­tion of excessive cartilage, and mattress sutures at the antihelical fold, to achieve natural contour and position. Modern Approach The great variety of techniques attests to the complexity of ear anatomy and the difficulty in achieving superior results with consistency. A modern approach to otoplasty is largely based upon the suture techniques developed by Mustarde and Furnas. We have found that by using a graduated approach, first setting back the ear cartilage bowl and then contour­ing the antihelical fold as necessary, we are able to achieve the most natural-appearing result. This technique has the advantage of enabling precise positioning of the cartilage by progressively tightening the sutures until the desired contour is achieved.

You should wait about three weeks after your otoplasty before exercising.

Most otoplasties take two hours to complete.

During the otoplasty procedure, the facial plastic surgeon works to reshape the prominent areas of the ear so that they look more natural. The goal is to eliminate the prominence of the years and allow them to blend in more naturally with the other facial features. Each patient who opts to have an otoplasty performed will have a different reason for doing so, and an expert facial plastic surgeon will take the time to create a custom surgical plan for each individual patient. This ensures successful, natural-looking results after the surgery.

Both children and adults can have the otoplasty procedure performed. A child must be at least 5 years old before they can have it performed, and any minor requires written consent from a parent or guardian. Adults who opt to have this procedure performed should be in good physical health and have realistic expectations of this surgery. Their ears should be significantly prominent and require otoplasty surgery in order to correct this appearance.

After the otoplasty is complete, the patient will have to spend several days resting and recovering. Efforts are taken in order to help the patient manage their pain levels, and a bandage is placed around the ears. The patient should sleep with their head elevated the night after the operation. The following day, the surgeon will remove the bandage around the ears. It typically takes five days before patients are able to go back to school or work. When a person’s ears stick out too far from their head, it can make them feel self-conscious. For children, the impact of bullying and teasing can last for many years to come and it can be difficult to deal with at the time. For adults, their appearance plays an important role in their personal and professional lives. This cosmetic surgery has proven itself to be effective in not only improving the patient’s appearance but also improving their quality of life.

Otoplasty does not affect hearing.

In most cases, the otoplasty is performed under twilight sedation with local anesthesia for adults and general anesthesia for young children in a surgical center. Our qualified center ensures that patients are safe and comfortable in a clean facility. Qualified staff members, nurses, and anesthesiologists work in these facilities. Many patients prefer to have their otoplasty performed at a surgical center because it is more affordable than having it performed at a local hospital.