In your first appointment with a surgeon, you should clearly explain your expectations of the surgery and how you or your child would like to look afterwards.
Careful discussions regarding your reasons for Otoplasty or cosmetic ear surgery are very important at this stage. Make sure that you obtain as much information as is necessary to enable you to make a fully informed decision about whether to go ahead with the surgery and feel comfortable about the operation.
The surgeon should also ask for a medical history, to make sure that there are no reasons why you shouldn’t have an otoplasty. At this point, you would also normally be asked to sign a consent form which means that you have understood the future benefits and possible risks associated with the procedure.
Photographs of your ears may also be taken by the practitioner for a “before and after” comparison later.
The surgeon may wish to write to your G.P. giving details of the operation so that if there are any problems associated with it in the short or long-term, the G.P. is aware of the surgery and can help you if you require any further treatment after the operation.
Anaesthesia
The operation can be performed under a local anaesthetic. However, some patients are given their anaesthetic via an intravenous drip. Sometimes a full general anaesthetic may be used and this is particularly common when children are having the surgery
As in any surgical procedure, the use of a general anaesthetic carries a small additional risk which your practitioner will discuss with you. No form of anaesthetic will be given to you without your surgeon discussing it with you first.
The operation
The surgery can be performed in an outpatient surgical centre, which may either be separately run by your surgeon, or may be part of a hospital.
The procedure can take between 2 - 3 hours, but depending on the extent of the procedure, it can take longer.
Surgery begins with an incision just behind the ear, in the natural fold where the ear is joined to the head. The surgeon will then remove the necessary amounts of cartilage and skin required to achieve the right effect. In some cases, the surgeon will also trim the cartilage, shaping it into a more attractive form and then pin the cartilage back with stitches that remain permanently.
The initial cut is then closed, usually with dissolvable stitches, and bandages are placed around the head to cover the ears.