Ear Surgery
in Middletown, NJ
Protruding or large ears can be the reason for a lot of teasing and embarrassment for some people. Dr. John Taylor is a Red Bank, NJ, board-certified plastic surgeon who performs otoplasty on patients who want to correct the size of their ears or improve their ear shape and appearance.
What Is Ear Surgery?
Ear surgery, or otoplasty, is a surgical procedure that corrects several ear problems, including reshaping ears, reducing the size of the ears, or bringing the ears closer to the head. Additionally, otoplasty may be done to correct small ears, overly large ears, ears missing their natural folds or very long ear lobes. This is a procedure that is often performed on children as a way to prevent or stop teasing, but is usually not done until school age is reached.
Benefits of Ear Surgery
Ear surgery can improve the appearance, position, and shape of the ears in children, teens, and adults and offers the following benefits:
- Easy procedure in small children
- Strengthens self-confidence
- Prevents teasing especially in children
- Repositions ears into the correct position
How Is Ear Surgery Performed?
First and foremost, this surgery is performed more often on children, but adults often choose this surgery as well. Depending on the purpose of the ear surgery (otoplasty), an incision is made to remove or reshape cartilage to achieve the goals of the surgery. For protruding ears, incisions are typically made behind the ear to create a natural fold inside the rim of the ear while reducing the cartilage in the concavity of the ear. If the incision is made in the front, it is made in the folds so that it is least visible.
The incisions are stitched internally with dissolvable stitches; external stitches are removed after a week or so of healing. Ear procedures typically take approximately two hours, and may be performed under general or local anesthesia.
Some patients want to reduce the size of their ear lobes which is easily done by removing excess skin and cartilage under local anesthesia. The ear lobes are sutured internally and externally with the procedure taking about the same amount of time.
Patient Reviews
“My son sees Dr. John Taylor. He has a sub-specialty in transgender patients. My son had chest masculinization surgery. My son looks incredible and we are a week post-op. The staff is incredibly kind and helpful. Michele has gone above and beyond to help us make this surgery possible. Thank you for all of your help. Thank you Dr. Taylor for your extraordinary work!”
— Marissa T.
Preparing for Ear Surgery
Just like with any surgery, some preparation is necessary to ensure that every precaution is taken. Preparing for ear surgery involves the following:
- Undergo pre-operative testing
- See your physician for medical clearance
- Adjust or discontinue current medications
- Take certain medications
- Stop smoking
- Avoid aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and certain herbal supplements that may thin your blood.
- Make travel arrangements for someone to drive you to and from surgery
- Arrange for someone to stay with you the first night following surgery
Make sure to wear a button up shirt to prevent touching or brushing over the ears following the surgery.
Recovery from Ear Surgery
With most otoplasty procedures, the results are immediate but are typically accompanied by some swelling. Recovery may involve some slight discomfort which is easily remedied with pain medication prescribed by Dr. Taylor. The ears are bandaged and wrapped for the first few days to support and keep the ears in place for the initial healing. It is imperative that these stay in place all the time to prevent any issues from arising even though there may be some itching and discomfort. For the first few days, we recommend keeping the head elevated and avoiding any lifting, bending, or other straining. Outer stitches are removed after about a week when most can return to normal activities.
At Allure Plastic Surgery Center, Dr. John Taylor offers plastic and reconstructive surgery procedures as well as non-invasive advanced skin care treatments to patients in Red Bank, NJ, and the surrounding areas. Contact us to set up your consultation today.
Please refer to our revision policy.