Prominent Ears Are Not Destiny: Don’t Be Afraid of Mirrors
“Prominent ear” deformity is a condition in which the ears are excessively noticeable, attract attention, and negatively affect facial appearance. Almost all of us have known someone in childhood who was teased by friends because their ears were overly prominent. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to solve the problems of many patients, ranging from children who experienced psychological trauma from being embarrassed in front of friends, to individuals who could not wear their hair up because of how their ears looked. As aesthetic and plastic surgeons, with prominent ear surgery we not only provide a more attractive facial appearance, but also contribute to resolving an issue that causes serious psychological trauma for individuals.
Of course, in addition to excessively prominent and large ears, correcting misshapen, deformed, or underdeveloped ears is also among the procedures successfully performed by us plastic surgeons.
At what age should prominent ear surgery be performed?
It is generally accepted that the ears complete their development around age 6. Therefore, in order to prevent possible psychological trauma, it is recommended that ear shape irregularities be corrected and prominent ear surgery be performed particularly before school age, around 6-7 years old. If this period is considered the earliest age at which the operation can be performed, prominent ear surgery can be performed at any age above this in all individuals who have no condition preventing the operation. I can comfortably say here that I have hundreds of patients over the age of 40 on whom I have performed prominent ear surgery.
How is prominent ear surgery performed?
Otoplasty, as we call prominent ear surgery, is generally performed under local anesthesia with sedation. In cases where intervention under local anesthesia is not possible, the operation can safely be performed under general anesthesia. However, the use of general anesthesia for prominent ear aesthetics is quite rare and is usually preferred for the pediatric age group. The duration of the operation varies depending on the procedure to be performed, but is approximately 1 hour. There are many different techniques that can be used in this operation. Although the method varies depending on the patient’s needs and the surgeon’s preference, the necessary corrections are generally made through an incision behind the ear that is not noticeable to anyone. A combination of several methods is often preferred to ensure the result obtained is permanent.
What is the recovery period like after prominent ear surgery?
After a few hours of rest at the hospital, we send our patient home with a bandage. Since we use aesthetic, dissolvable stitches behind the ear in prominent ear surgery, there is no need for stitch removal. Mild swelling and bruising may be seen in the ears, especially during the first 2-3 days after the operation. We remove the bandage on the 2nd or 3rd day after ear aesthetics and switch to applying a sports headband to protect the ears. After this 7-10 day period, we continue using a bandage at night while sleeping for 4-6 weeks. During this 4-6 week period, it is necessary to stay away from active sports that could cause trauma to the ear, such as volleyball, wrestling, etc.
As a result, you can now wear your hair however you like and enter social settings without any hesitation. Thanks to the cartilage-shaping approach applied, we continue our lives at peace with ourselves, looking in mirrors comfortably whenever we want, without worrying whether our ears might become prominent again. In other words, we look at life more beautifully!
What Causes Prominent Ears?
Prominent ears, which stem from genetic causes, can also be congenital. Prominent ear treatment, which can be performed from an early age, is a much easier operation than is generally assumed. Prominent ear surgery, performed by expert surgeons, ensures that the ear achieves a normal form.
– Excessive ear width and angles
– Excess bone behind the ear
– Loose structure of the ear cartilage
– Improperly formed folds in the upper part of the ear
– Ears shaped differently from one another
– Complete absence of ear cartilage
In these conditions as well, ear surgery can be performed to restore the ear to a normal form. Operations for ear damage that may result from genetic and other factors can be performed from age 6 onward.