Otoplasty (Ear Pinning)

Ear pinning is a cosmetic surgery used by plastic surgeons in cases of prominent ears from the head in a bothersomemanner, that the plastic surgeon reshapes the ear-pinna which is composed of cartilage, so that it appears more consistent with the head.

The ear-pinna considered to be protruding if they emerge from the head more than 2 cm, the prominent ears may occur because of excess cartilage or the incomplete development of cartilage the ear-pinna edges, and sometimes the protruding is a result of an accident or a direct injury on the ear, which needs a cosmetic surgery for the ear.

Ear surgeries are often performed for children over the age of five when the ear in its full natural size, but sometimes the surgery is done in different ages.

The steps in the operating room during ear surgery depend on the condition of the ear and the cause of the protrusion, the surgeon may need to implant a cartilage or remove some of the existing cartilage to get it back in place, ear pinning is an easy and safe operation that has very satisfactory results for the patient and his / her parents.

Treatment in Jordan takes approximately 3 days.

The patient is asked to undergo a group of tests before the ear pinning, includes:

• Patient's medical history.
• Clinical examination.
• Blood tests.

Although ear pinning is a safe surgery with a very low rate of complications, but like any other surgical procedure, it may include some complications, including:

• Asymmetry of both ears after the surgery.
• Exaggeration in fixing the ears, making them looks as if they were attached to the head.
• Scars at the site of the incision, but they stay invisible behind the ear.
• Affect the level of sensation in the ears, may be permanent in some rare cases.

Ear pinning surgery includes the following three phases:

• Preparing the patient for the surgery: The patient is advised to avoid taking blood thinning medications, such as aspirin, and also to refrain from taking anti-inflammatory drugs as they may increase the incidence of bleeding during the surgery, also in the case of adult and smoker patients they have to stay away from smoking for about two weeks before ear pinning in order to raise the percentage of wounds' healing.
• During the surgery: The procedure is often performed under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation, but may also be performed under general anesthesia, especially if the patient is a child. The surgery depends on the patient's need and the nature of the ear's shape, the surgeon starts by making an incision behind the ear, then he removes a part of the existent cartilage and skin (or implants cartilage in some cases) then he fixes the ear in its normal place using internal stitches, after that, the surgeon closes the incision and wraps the ears with badges around the head like a helmet for a specified period for best results.
• After the surgery: The patient may feel swelling and some pain in the ears after the operation, the swelling lasts for three days after that it begins to disappear gradually, the patient can return home on the same day with a bandage surrounding the head around the ears remains for about a week.

During the first week, the patient should wear a bandage or a head corset around his ears, especially during sleeping, to maintain their shape without movement. After 3 days almost, the patient can go back to school or job, but he must keep away from exhausting physical exercises which includes violent contact with others for about 3 months. Wounds at surgery site should be kept clean, sterile and dry.