Otoplasty
When to consider an otoplasty
LOCATED IN BEACHWOOD | SERVING CLEVELAND AND NORTHEAST OHIO
Nothing affects your face’s overall shape and silhouette more than how your ears sit on your head. Ears that protrude noticeably can become too much of a focal point and may distract from your face. Prominent ears can make some people feel very self-conscious about their appearance.
Otoplasty is an advanced procedure performed by double-board certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Diana Ponsky that reshapes and improves the appearance of prominent ears safely and effectively.
How It Helps
Dr. Diana Ponsky repositions the ears to lay flatter against the sides of the head. Ear surgery improves the shape, position, and proportion of the ear, including correcting structural abnormalities from birth.
Otoplasty sets back the ears and improves contour and symmetry, reducing the ears as a focal point. Following the procedure, the ears fade into the background, resulting in a more balanced appearance. Ear pinning ultimately draws more attention to the area around the rest of the face more proportionally and pleasingly.
BEFORE
What to expect before ear surgery | otoplasty
Cleveland facial plastic surgeon Dr. Diana Ponsky will begin your consultation by asking about your goals and expectations and will discuss any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors. After an examination and photographs, you will discuss a recommended course of treatment and outcomes, risks, or potential complications. Especially important is adhering to the post-surgical instructions designed to protect the delicate new ear structure in the early healing phase.
DURING
What to expect during ear pinning | otoplasty
Anesthesia may include local, intravenous sedation, or general anesthesia. Correction of protruding ears typically begins with hidden incisions on the back surface of the ear. When incisions are also necessary on the front of the ear, they are made within its folds to hide them. Cartilage shaping is individualized and conservative to avoid an unnatural, pinned appearance. Internal, non-removable sutures create and secure the newly shaped structures. Discrete external stitches are used to close the incision meticulously.
AFTER
What to expect after an otoplasty
Discomfort immediately following ear surgery is normal and can be controlled with pain medication. There may be an itchy feeling under bandages, but the dressings must remain intact and in place. The incisions must not be subjected to excessive force, sunlight tanning bed light, abrasion, or motion. Immediate results become visible once the supportive dressings during the initial phases of healing are removed within three days of surgery. With the ear permanently positioned closer to the head, surgical scars are either hidden behind the ear or well-hidden within the natural creases of the ear.
