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Ear Surgery:
What to Expect
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| by Dr. Diane Gibby • M.D., P.A., F.A.C.S |
Otoplasty, or ear surgery, is the only cosmetic
procedure that is performed more frequently on
children than it is on adults. Because ears are
almost fully developed by the age of four, many
parents opt to have their child's ears
surgically reduced during pre-pubescent or early
teen years. Of course ear surgery is also
performed on thousands of adult patients a year.
However, the cartilage in the ear becomes less
pliable with age, which could limit the
enhancement capabilities available to the
operating surgeon.
Otoplasty is usually performed as an outpatient
procedure in a hospital or doctor's surgical
facility. For younger patients, general
anesthesia is usually administered so that
children are asleep throughout surgery, while
surgeons may prefer local anesthesia with a
sedative for adults and older teens.
The doctor will begin surgery by making an
incision along the back of the ear. Depending on
the desired results, the surgeon will then
reshape the cartilage and remove skin. In some
cases pieces of cartilage is trimmed or removed,
while other techniques involve the
pinning of cartilage with permanent sutures to
pull the ear back closer to the head and make it
appear smaller. Regardless of the technique or
whether or not cartilage is removed, permanent
sutures are used to hold the ear in place. After
this, temporary stitches are used to close the
incision along the back of the ear. The total
surgery will take
between 1 and 2 hours per ear.
Candidates for surgery should be of good health,
have no scarring of the ears, and be able to
follow post-surgical requirements (this is
especially important for younger patients). Most
candidates seek improvement of their appearance
due to large or asymmetrical ears.
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Diane Gibby, M.D., P.A., F.A.C.S Licensed in Texas, Dr. Diane Gibby is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the founder of The Women's Center for Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery. She is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), American Medical Association (AMA), Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons (TSPS), Dallas County Medical Society (DCMS) and the Board Certified Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeons of Dallas. She is also a Fellow in the American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.). Dr. Gibby's office is located at Medical City Dallas, Building C, Suite 820, (972) 566-6323. Individuals interested in brochures or names of qualified plastic surgeons in their area may call the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons at 1-800-635-0635.
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