Otoplasty refers to the cosmetic surgery available to correct prominent ears. Sometimes referred to as ‘pinning,’ this procedure causes the ears to lay back flat against the head instead of sticking straight out.
If you or a loved one has prominent ears, there are several factors that can influence your candidacy for surgical correction.
Your Overall Health
While otoplasty is usually tolerated well, it is a surgery that requires a healing period. For these reasons, candidates should be in general good health and have any diseases well under control.
For example, well-controlled diabetics may qualify while an uncontrolled diabetic may not. Patients with health concerns should seek approval for otoplasty from a medical professional to ensure they are healthy enough for a safe procedure.
Your Smoking Status
Smokers, recent quitters and those who are exposed to secondhand smoke frequently have issues healing surgical incisions. Complications among these groups of people can also include excessive scarring.
It’s important that candidates who smoke quit several months prior to surgery not to resume smoking right after surgery. Patients also need to avoid secondhand smoke during recovery to ensure proper healing.
Your Age
Otoplasty has to wait until the ears are fully formed, usually at around four or five years of age. This surgery is most commonly performed on kids between the ages of four and fourteen, and there is no upper age limit restriction. If you’re an adult who’s been trying to hide your ears for decades, your maturity presents no barrier to treatment.
The Patient’s Desire for Correction
Some parents, worried that their child will be subject to ridicule, bring in a child for otoplasty that clearly wants nothing to do with surgery and may even like their ears the way they are.
If this is the case, forcing the child to undergo treatment may not be ideal. For children, it’s best to wait for the child to express dissatisfaction about their ears before seeking a consultation.
As for adult patients, it goes almost without saying that the desire for corrective surgery should be rooted in your own desires and not those of a spouse or parent.
Otoplasty can reduce the appearance of prominent ears by making them lay flat against the head. If you or your child is unhappy with the set of their ears and would like to explore surgical correction, contact Athena Plastic Surgery today to schedule a consultation.