Ear Surgery
Recovering from Otoplasty Surgery in New York
What happens after the surgery?
As mentioned, after your surgery you will find you have a bulky head bandage in place. This is necessary so that the newly achieved position of the ears can be maintained while the initial molding and healing is taking place. It also minimizes swelling and discomfort and allows you to turn from side to side when asleep without painful pressure. Although the bandage is characterized by most patients as the worst thing about the whole operation (patients often want to scratch their itchy ears!), it is nonetheless very important for achieving optimum results. It is kept on for a period of one week then removed along with the stitches. After the bandage is removed, it is advised you wear a head band at night for approximately 6 weeks which serves the purpose of holding the ears back and therefore protecting them from any inadvertent injury which may occasionally occur whilst sleeping.
What kind of After Effects should I expect?
When the bandage comes off you should expect significant bruising and swelling. Sometimes this bruising is quite spectacular. Swelling and bruising can take up to 3 weeks to disappear. Despite the swelling however the reduction in the prominence of the ears will be apparent. Numbness of the ears is common after ear correction. This numbness eventually returns to normal, although the process may take many months to completion. Alternatively some people complain of hypersensitivity in the ears reporting excessive throbbing or discomfort particularly in cold weather. Again this eventually resolves. You should avoid contact sports for 3 months after surgery as the ears are still quite sensitive during this time and may be damaged easily by any ensuing injury.
Is it painful?
For the first couple of days the ears will feel quite sore. This however should be well controlled with painkillers, which will be given to you after the operation. Pain after ear correction should not be intolerable.
What are the scars like?
The final appearance of any scar is impossible to predict. Thankfully in most cases of prominent ear correction the scar is hidden behind the ear. Nevertheless you should always expect these to appear red raised and lumpy in the first few months after surgery. After this time however these usually soften and fade. In rare cases the development of permanent, hard, thick scar tissue (keloid scars) can occur.
How long before I'm back to normal?
Most adults can go back to work as soon as the bandage comes off. There will however be some residual swelling and even light bruising up to 6 weeks after surgery which is however usually only slight. Children can go back to school after this time although it may be wise to ask a child's teacher to keep an eye on them for the first few weeks.