Overview of Ear Plastic Surgery
In general, ears are not the center of people’s attention. How often have you heard someone say,"You know, he's got the nicest ears I've ever seen."? In fact, for the most part, ears should not be noticed. Most people could not draw an accurate ear from memory if their life depended on it.
I think the important point to remember about ear plastic surgery is that ears are not meant to be noticed. If they are noticed, it is usually because there is something wrong with them; that is, there is something about the ear that is unusual enough to bring one's attention to it. Commonly, this is because the ear is protruding outwards. Normally, these ears are not bigger than normal. They bend outward instead of staying close to the scalp.
This problem is more common in men than women and seems to be associated more with people of English descent. Many people with this problem are not troubled by it. Indeed, some people think it adds character. This is a healthy way to think about it, but if it does bother you, there are plastic surgical options that are very effective at correcting the problem.
The problem starts at birth and is due to a congenital lack of curvature of the cartilage within the ear. Normally, the ear cartilage bends backward toward the scalp, but in people with protruding ears, this curvature never occurs and the ear remains protruding outward. If noticed within 6 weeks of birth, it is possible to reshape the cartilage by just molding it into proper position without surgery.
In fact, this is often done with certain breeds of dogs! After 6 weeks, however, the cartilage becomes too firm and is no longer amenable to non surgical readjustment. At this point, it is best to wait until the age of 4, at which time the ear has grown to about 85 per cent of its adult size, before considering surgery. Of course, after 4 years of age it can be done at any time and is commonly performed during the summer months when children are out of school.
Correction of this failure of cartilage curvature requires surgically removing skin and applying sutures strategically to recreate this bending of the cartilage. Sometimes, there is too much cartilage and some of it must be removed. In the vast majority of Dr. Cruise's cases, the incision is located completely behind the ear. Once it heals, it is virtually unnoticeable because the area behind the ear heals exceptionally well with little scar tissue and the location of the incision is hidden.
A completely different type of problem is the underdeveloped ear or one that has never developed at all. These two types of problems are called microtia and anotia respectively. These are much more difficult problems and may very well be associated with other congenital problems.
The nice thing about correcting protruding ears is that the ear is easy to numb with lidocaine. This allows correction to be done under local anesthesia with minimal discomfort. Local anesthesia, however, may not be possible with children under 10 years of age or children who cannot sit still well. It depends on the child. This is something that must be discussed during consultation.
