When Should The Otoplasty Be Carried Out?

Post Date: 9/18/2020

WHEN SHOULD THE OTOPLASTY BE CARRIED OUT?

Children with dislocated ears, which are called flap-eared, are often bullied and mocked by their peers. Children experience some social and psychological problems as a result of these behaviors that they are exposed to by their friends at a young age. This situation, which will leave traces in their future, may cause loss of self-esteem, difficulties in social adaptation, and low academic performance. Since children are often exposed to this bullying during school years, it is very important for the psychological health of the child to perform otoplasty (ear aesthetics) before the child starts school.

With otoplasty, the ears are reshaped by bringing them to normal size and position. Otoplasty is a relatively easy operation that can be performed at the desired age after full development of the ears, providing a very successful result. It is ideal if the angle between the ear and the head is 30 or 40 degrees, but the ear with an angle above 40 degrees will look more prominent and protruding. Ears in this structure are called flap-eared. Eighty-five percent of a child's ear development is around five years old. Therefore otoplasty is mostly performed between the ages of five and seven. Ear cartilage of a child of these ages is strong enough to withstand surgery but is still malleable flexibility. Ideal for otoplasty, these ages can also help prevent the child from being exposed to unnecessary bullying before self-awareness begins.  Because there is no age restriction for this operation, it is a very common plastic surgery method among adults, which can easily be applied to patients at any age who complain about flap-ears.

Although the ideal age to be applied to children is between five and seven years old, your child should be ready for this operation first. First of all, it is important that your child is willing to change and that the demand for operations comes from her/him. It is recommended to inform her/him correctly about the operation and the healing process and, if necessary, seek help from a pedagogue. You should also prepare your child for the operation psychologically. By speaking in a language your child can understand, you can teach her/him basic instructions. Otoplastyis performed under general anesthesia, especially for children. For this reason, it will be very important to fully inform your doctor about your child's medical history.

Otoplasty is a surgical operation that some instructions should be followed during the recovery process. After the operation, the bandage is wrapped for a week and ten days in the patient's healing process, and it is necessary to dress. Children mostly survive this process easily and in a short time and can return to school within a week.

After otoplasty, the patient must take a seven to ten-day recovery period before he or she can return to work or school. In this process, edema and bruising will decrease, and discomfort will decrease, and bandages will be removed. For children, this operation, especially during the school holidays, will prevent them from falling behind in their lessons. So children can start school with their more normal-looking ears.

Another reason that limits otoplasty except for the age is smoking. Smoking may increase complications and delay healing and increase scarring. In order for the patient to have a healthy operation and recovery process, it is recommended to quit smoking a few months before the operation. 

If there is an existing disease or infection in the ear, it must first be treated, and the infection should be cleared. For the operation, the patient is expected to be healthy first.

Otoplasty is one of the difficult steps that parents need to take; you can find a surgeon that you and your child can trust and have a comfortable operation. If you consider having rhinoplasty surgery, contact us right away to get a free consultancy service from Prof. Dr. Selçuk İnanlı.