Otoplasty

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Otoplasty New York – Otoplasty NYC Surgery

Otoplasty is the cosmetic correction of the ears or the ear lobes, often due to an injury or birth defect. For some of our otoplasty New York patients, otoplasty is considered because they are unhappy with the appearance of how far their ears protrude from the sides of the face.

Children and teens comprise the largest group of our patients who undergo “pinning back” of the ears. Ears that stick out too much can cause tremendous mental anguish for children who are relentlessly teased due to their appearance.

Though surgical correction of the ears is not for every child, if you are considering this procedure for your child, please come in for a personal and private consultation with our otoplasty NYC specialist so we can discuss with you the best treatment options for correction.

When someone’s ears have been disfigured due to injury, it can be especially traumatic. A sudden change in appearance can cause withdrawal, embarrassment, and result in low self-esteem. Our expert otoplasty New York cosmetic surgeon is experienced in correcting every type of ear disfigurement, birth defect, or injury.

Dr. Theodore Diktaban has over thirty years of experience in treating otoplasty NYC patients. He is our otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor) as well as a Board Certified NY Plastic Surgeon. No matter how mild or severe the issue, he can help you obtain a more normal appearance of the ears.

How Surgery is Performed in Our Otoplasty New York (Long Island) and Otoplasty NYC Centers

• Ear surgery on children or teens is usually performed under general anesthesia with an anesthesiologist (anesthesia doctor) monitoring the patient at every moment. Adults can opt to have the ear numbed during the procedure with local anesthetic.
• For injuries to the ear that have resulted in disfigurement, proper steps will be made by our otoplasty New York surgeon to bring the ear back to as normal an appearance as possible. Sometimes skin grafts or cartilage from another area of the body can be transplanted into the ears to simulate a normal ear shape.
• For earlobe correction surgery, it depends upon the specific issue (too little or too much ear lobe) or if there is a severe defect in the overall shape of the lobe. No specific corrective steps can be described here because it will be up to the discretion of the surgeon to make the necessary correction as he or she deems best.
• For “pinning back” of the ears, an incision is made in the fold of the ear where the scar will be least noticeable. Our otoplasty NYC plastic surgeon will skillfully remove any extra cartilage from the ear that is causing it to excessively protrude. Then, the cartilage is joined to the crease/fold of the ear so that it can heal in its new position and have a normal appearance.
• Otoplasty is one of the few cosmetic surgery procedures where the incision can be so well-hidden that it is virtually invisible!

After Surgery in Our Otoplasty New York (Long Island) and Otoplasty NYC Centers

The patient will be woozy and possibly dizzy from the anesthesia and surgery. It is important for there to be someone present to help the patient around, get them food and to help keep them hydrated. Painkillers will be prescribed to keep the patient comfortable and help them rest better.

There will be some post-operative swelling which can be greatly reduced by keeping the head elevated above the heart with a few pillows. Due to the anesthesia, the patient may want to stick to bland, soft foods that are easy to digest for the first day or two.

We generally prescribe antibiotics for the first week to ten days after otoplasty surgery to lessen the risk of infection at the surgical sites. It is important to precisely follow the post-otoplasty instructions on our Post-Operative Instructions sheet to avoid complications and unnecessary risks to the patient’s health.