Do otoplasty and how dangerous it is
The purpose of otoplasty is to improve the appearance of the ears by correcting their shape. Ugly ears spoil even very attractive features of the face, therefore their owners seek to resolve this issue by turning to a plastic surgeon. But the upcoming surgery creates fear of the operation and fears for the result.
The operation to correct the shape of the ears is simple and is performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. Otoplasty is performed quickly, and the recovery period is not too painful and complications arise very rarely. Correction of the ears is carried out by experienced plastic surgeons in clinics equipped with modern instruments.
Whether to do an otoplasty is a matter of personal choice. An indication for this procedure should be considered the desire of a person to make their ears more attractive. The ugly shape of the ears does not affect the functionality of the organ of hearing. It is important that a person makes a decision himself, and not under pressure from others. The exceptions are children, for which the decision is made by parents.
Briefly about conducting otoplasty:
- a small number of contraindications;
- simple preparatory procedures;
- performed under local anesthesia (anesthesia for indications);
- operation time from 30 minutes to 2 hours;
- the choice of correction method - a scalpel or laser ;
- you can go home a few hours after the operation;
- relatively easy recovery period;
- wearing a bandage after surgery no more than a week;
- fixing the ears with a bandage for the night - two months;
- complete healing of the ear after six months;
- low percentage of complications and unsatisfactory results.
The operation on the ears is performed in two ways: with a scalpel (traditional surgery) and with the help of a laser (modern method).
Laser otoplasty is positively different from the classical operation. The laser minimizes injuries during the procedure, since tissue is coagulated when cut with a laser beam, and there is almost no blood. With this method of operation, infection is excluded, which means that there are no complications in the form of inflammation of soft tissues and cartilage. The recovery period after laser otoplasty is shorter and lighter.
In forums, young mothers often discuss whether otoplasty should be done by children and at what age it is best to contact a surgeon. The operation for the correction of the auricle is performed for children from 6 years of age. By this time, the outer ear is fully formed and can be surgically corrected. School-aged children often complex about lop-earedness, therefore, doctors recommend performing the operation as early as possible.
The danger of pediatric otoplasty may be too much effect on the nervous system. If the child is not prepared psychologically for temporary difficulties, he may experience severe stress during the operation and even depression during the recovery period. Another issue in pediatric otoplasty is that, despite the auricle formed by 6 years, it can continue to grow and change its shape to its original appearance.
When asking the question whether ear surgery is dangerous, it should be understood that this is a surgical procedure and it has risks of complications. In order to eliminate the side effects of the operation, the doctor sends the patient for examination by a general practitioner and otorhinolaryngologist. The patient also undergoes tests of urine and blood to determine important factors of the state of the body. Blood sampling is carried out for biochemical analysis, exclusion of hepatitis and HIV infection, determination of blood clotting and Rh factor.
The operation cannot be done if the examination reveals the following deviations:
- bleeding disorders;
- inflammation in the ear;
- any infectious diseases;
- elevated blood sugar;
- hepatitis;
- AIDS.
Otoplasty has contraindications for a number of diseases:
- diabetes;
- malignant tumors;
- chronic diseases in the period of exacerbation;
- propensity to form keloids;
- disorders of the thyroid gland;
- inflammatory diseases of the ears and jaw.
Women do not have surgery on the ears during lactation, during pregnancy or menstruation.
Danger of an otoplasty can consist in unsatisfactory appearance of "new" ears. How aesthetically attractive the ears will be after the procedure depends largely on the mutual understanding of the surgeon and the patient.
The doctor simulates ear shape variants using computer technology and demonstrates to the client. If the second is satisfied with the result, then one of the auricle correction methods is selected.
This is the second important point, because of more than 150 technicians performing the operation, the doctor must choose the optimal one. If at this stage everything is taken into account correctly, then the final result will be exactly the way the patient wants to see it.
The risk of complications after the correction of the ears is possible in the case when the patient does not follow the surgeon's recommendations during the recovery period. If the rules are not followed, the stitches may disperse, complications such as infection of tissues and others may occur. Therefore, it is very important to properly care for the ears, up to full recovery.
Unsuccessful otoplasty and complications
Complications after otoplasty are not common, but it can be. Sometimes the operation does not go as planned, and as a result there are all sorts of troubles. Some problems are eliminated with the help of appropriate treatment, others - by repeated correction.
The reasons for the failure of otoplasty may be the following factors:
- physiological characteristics of the patient’s tissues;
- bleeding disorders;
- insufficient disinfection of instruments;
- the occurrence of an allergic reaction to drugs;
- inexperience or errors of the surgeon;
- improper care of the ears during the rehabilitation period.
One of the common causes of complications after otoplasty is the individual characteristics of the human connective tissue and general health. In this case, the process of regeneration and healing of the ear is slower, which causes various troubles, including infection of ear tissues. This happens if the preliminary survey was not complete or of poor quality.
The following factors are involved in the development of complications for this reason:
- infectious diseases;
- the presence of pathologies of internal organs;
- intoxication of the body;
- endocrine disruption;
- slow cell regeneration processes (after 35 years);
- impaired tissue regeneration (susceptibility to the formation of keloids).
Unsuccessful otoplasty due to the surgeon's fault is a rarity. Plastic surgery clinics have highly qualified specialists in their staff, as they create its prestige. But still this is possible.
A plastic surgeon may make a mistake in the following cases:
- wrong to choose the method of the operation;
- unsuccessful to put the markup in the places of cuts
- do not evaluate the result of the correction at each stage of the action;
- do not properly inform the patient about the rules of care for the ears after surgery.
Complications after otoplasty often arise from the fault of the patient. If a person knows that he has a disease in which it is impossible to perform surgery on the ears, but hides it, then adverse events can develop.
Important
Failure to follow the rules prescribed by the doctor entails various consequences, including the discharge of the auricle. Insufficient antiseptic can lead to infection of the auricle.
In any operation, complications are distinguished into early and late. Early side effects appear in the first few days after the procedure of ear correction. The most dangerous of these are hematoma and infection.
Early complications
Hematoma is considered the most significant side effect of the operation. If the hematoma is not removed in time, it can lead to cartilage necrosis.
It is manifested by the following symptoms:
- swelling and cyanosis of the ear tissue;
- bleeding from a wound;
- throbbing pain.
If the infection has got on the operated area, then it threatens with purulent inflammation of tissues and cartilage (perichondritis). The infection can get into the middle ear and cause otitis. In case of occurrence of inflammatory processes, immediate treatment with antibacterial agents is recommended.
Tissue infection is manifested as follows:
- severe swelling;
- redness of ear tissue;
- fever;
- pain in the wound area.
Side effects such as bleeding, minor pain and swelling are less complicated. For pain relief in the first days, analgesics are used. Bleeding is stopped with the help of homostatic ointments and hemostatic drugs.
Edema usually passes by itself. But it is better to turn the attention of the doctor to this symptom, since it can be caused by an allergic reaction, inflammation or hematoma.
The rarest complication of otoplasty is the discharge of the auricle.
This is possible with a gross violation of the technique of performing the operation or non-compliance with the rules of ear care (the patient does not wear a bandage, wets the ear before removing the stitches and so on).
Late complications
Late complications are considered to be the negative effects of the operation, which are observed several months after it is performed.
The most common ones are the following:
- misalignment of the auricle;
- the divergence of soft fabric in the place where the seam was laid;
- rough scars after otoplasty;
- asymmetrical arrangement of the ears.
The divergence of tissues at the seam is called teething. It occurs due to violations of the technique of suturing, infection, too much cartilage tension. If at the same time the ear retains its shape, then the soft tissue is sutured again. In case of violation of the shape of the ears, repeated correction is required.
A distortion of the auricle indicates an incorrectly chosen method of correction. Incorrect measurements can lead to unsuccessful results. Misalignment can also occur with improper stitching.
Severe scars after otoplasty occur if the surgeon removes too much skin tissue. Scars may appear as a result of the patient’s connective tissue characteristics. Keloid scars, unlike scars, are a soft pink fabric. For the treatment of scars used special ointment. Rough formations are excised surgically.
During the rehabilitation period it is important to visit the surgeon for examination and inform him about all the features of ear healing. The forums often ask questions that are best addressed to the doctor, such as:
- After otoplasty, one ear sticks out - is this the norm?
If after the operation no more than 3 months have passed, then such a situation may occur. Perhaps this ear is more traumatized as a result of the correction. But it can also be an unfortunate result of the operation. In this case, a second correction is made after six months.
- Can hearing be lost after otoplasty?
Otoplasty is performed on the auricle of the outer ear, therefore it does not affect the hearing function in any way.