A ^Retired Plastic Surgeon's Notebook

Prominent ears – a little tape is worth an operation.

Seattle Plastic Surgeon discusses treating prominent ears.

Prominent earsThis week I operated on a young man with prominent ears.  He was starting college out of state in a month and decided to have his prominent ears fixed before heading off. 

His ear deformity was the most common one we plastic surgeons see.  His ears stuck out straight and he lacked a normal fold in his cartilage. 

Otoplasty refers to surgery that reshapes the ear.  In this patient’s case, an incision was made on the back of the ear, the cartilage exposed and stitches placed in the cartilatge to creat a fold.  This folds the ear back closer to the head.  He will be sore and swollen for a few days and in a head band for a week.  After his incisions heal, only his barber will see his scars. 

This young man may have been able to avoid surgery if his ears had been taped when he was a newborn.  Newborn ear cartilage is very flexible and can be molded in the first few weeks on life.  If a baby has ears that stick out and do not have the normal fold, taping them back is often very effective.  

Soooooo………………..if you know a little newborn Dumbo, you may want to consider a little tape.  It could save an operation down the road. 

Thanks for reading!  Dr. Lisa Lynn Sowder

 

 

Category: Earlobes, General Health, Non-invasive, Now That's Cool | Tags: , , , , , ,

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