Otoplasty (Ear Pinning & Reshaping)

Otoplasty Surgery

Ear surgery, also known as otoplasty, can improve the shape, position or proportion of the ear. Otoplasty can correct a defect in the ear structure that is present at birth that becomes apparent with development, or it can treat misshapen ears caused by injury.
Ear surgery creates a natural shape while bringing balance and proportion to the ears and face. Correction of even minor deformities can have profound benefits to appearance and self-esteem.
Specifically, ear surgery can treat:

• Overly large ears — a rare condition called macrotia.
• Protruding ears occurring on one or both sides in varying degrees, not associated with hearing loss.
• Adult dissatisfaction with previous ear surgery.

Ear Surgery Cost

Otoplasty costs may include:

• Surgeon’s fee.
• Hospital or surgical facility costs.
• Anesthesia fees.
• Prescriptions for medication.
• Post-surgery garments.
• Medical tests.

When choosing a plastic surgeon for ear surgery, remember that the surgeon’s experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery.

FAQS

Frequently asked questions about surgical procedures

What’s not included:

• Lab testing before and after the surgery, as needed
• Electrocardiogram (EKG), depending on age. If you had one elsewhere in the past 6 months and it read “normal”, we can forego this expense.
• Imaging costs. X-rays and MRIs can be obtained anywhere.
• Physical therapy services
• Medications you’ll need (oral or IV antibiotic infusions if an infection arises)
• Wound care
• Bracing supplies
• Additional doctor visits (a pre-operative visit with the surgeon, in person, and any required post-op follow-ups after the suture removal to monitor your progress
• Additional surgical intervention if a complication arises
• Additional imaging or hospital care if a blood clot develops

Preparation for Surgery

Always tell your health care provider or nurse what drugs you are taking, even drugs, supplements, or herbs you bought without a prescription.

During the days before the surgery:

• You may be asked to stop taking aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), warfarin (Coumadin), and any other drugs that make it hard for your blood to clot.
• Ask your health care provider which drugs you should still take on the day of your surgery.

On the day of your surgery:

• You will very often be asked not to drink or eat anything for 6 – 12 hours before the surgery.
• Take the drugs your health care provider told you to take with a small sip of water.
  Your health care provider or nurse will tell you when to arrive at the hospital

Cystoscopy Procedure

At this point, you’ll be given anesthesia. If you get general anesthesia, this will be all that you are conscious of until you wake up. If you’re getting a local or regional anesthetic, you may be given a sedative to relax you. Your urethra will be numbed with an anesthetic spray or gel. You’ll still feel some sensations, but the gel makes the procedure less painful. The doctor will lubricate the scope with gel and carefully insert it into the urethra. This may burn slightly, and it may feel like urinating. If the procedure is investigatory, your doctor will use a flexible scope. Biopsies or other surgical procedures require a slightly thicker, rigid scope. The bigger scope allows surgical instruments to pass through it. Your doctor looks through a lens as the scope enters your bladder. A sterile solution will flow through to flood your bladder. This makes it easier for your doctor to see what’s going on. The fluid might give you an uncomfortable feeling of needing to urinate. With local anesthetic, your cystoscopy may take less than five minutes. If you’re sedated or given general anesthesia, Cystoscopy is a test that allows your doctor to look at the inside of your bladder and urethra. It’s done using a thin, lighted tube called a cystoscope; the entire procedure may take 15 to 30 minutes.

What to expect after your surgery

After A Cystoscopy Procedure

The day after the test, you may feel tired and have a slight backache.
Most people report that this test is not nearly as uncomfortable as they thought it would be.
After the test, you may need to urinate often. You may have some burning during and after urination for a day or two. It may help to drink lots of fluids. This also helps prevent a urinary tract infection.
Slightly pink urine is common for several days after the test, especially if a biopsy was performed.

Risks

As with any surgery there are risks, however Cystoscopy carries the lowest risks of complications:

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Swollen urethra (urethritis): urinationis  difficult
• Puncture of the urethra or bladder
• Rare risks include:
• Blood clot in the legs or lungs
• Complications from anesthesia

Talk with your doctor to understand the possible risks and benefits of surgery.

Ear Surgery Preparation

Prior to surgery, you may be asked to:

• Get lab testing or a medical evaluation.
• Take certain medications or adjust your current medications.
• Stop smoking well in advance of surgery.
• Avoid taking aspirin and certain anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements, as they can increase bleeding.

Special instructions you receive will cover:

• What to do on the day of surgery.
• The use of anesthesia during your procedure.
• Post-operative care and follow-up.

Your plastic surgeon will also discuss where your procedure will be performed. Depending on the type of surgery you will undergo, your procedure may be performed in your plastic surgeon’s accredited office-based surgical facility, an ambulatory surgical facility, or a hospital.

Otoplasty Procedure Steps

1. Step 1 – Anesthesia
Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include local, intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.
2. Step 2 – The Incision
Correction of protruding ears uses surgical techniques to create or increase the antihelical fold (just inside the rim of the ear) and to reduce enlarged conchal cartilage (the largest and deepest concavity of the external ear). Incisions for otoplasty are generally made on the back surface of the ear. When incisions are necessary on the front of the ear, they are made within its folds to hide them. Internal, non-removable sutures are used to create and secure the newly shaped cartilage in place.
3. Step 3 – Closing Incisions
External stitches close the incision. Techniques are individualized, taking care not to distort other structures and to avoid an unnatural “pinned back” appearance.
4. Step 4 – Results
Ear surgery offers near-immediate results in cases of protruding ears, visible once the dressings that support the new shape of the ear during the initial phases of healing are removed. With the ear permanently positioned closer to the head, surgical scars are either hidden behind the ear or well-hidden in the natural creases of the ear.

Ear Surgery Recovery

Discomfort immediately following ear surgery is normal and can be controlled with pain medication. There may be an itchy feeling under bandages. It is essential that bandages remain intact and are not removed for any reason. Failure to do so may result in loss of some of the correction and may require a secondary surgery.
Be sure to ask your plastic surgeon specific questions about what you can expect during your individual recovery period.

• Where will I be taken after my surgery is complete?
• What medication will I be given or prescribed after surgery?
• Will I have dressings/bandages after surgery? When will they be removed?
• Are stitches removed? When?
• When can I resume normal activity and exercise?
• When do I return for follow-up care?

The practice of medicine and surgery is not an exact science. Although good results are expected, there is no guarantee. In some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure, and another surgery may be necessary.

Otoplasty Risks and Safety Information

Some of the risks include:

• Bleeding (hematoma).
• Blood clots.
• Asymmetry.
• Infection.
• Poor wound healing.
• Change in skin sensation.
• Skin contour irregularities.
• Skin discoloration/swelling.
• Anesthesia risks.
• Unfavorable scarring.
• Allergies to tape, suture materials, glues, blood products, topical preparations or injected agents.
• Pain may persist.
• Possibility of revisional surgery.
• Where will my surgery be performed?

Ear surgery may be performed in your plastic surgeon’s accredited office-based surgical facility, an ambulatory surgical facility, or a hospital. Your plastic surgeon and the assisting staff will fully attend to your comfort and safety.
After surgery, bandages or dressings will be applied to keep your surgical site clean, protect it from trauma, and support the new position of the ear during initial healing.

How are follow-up and initial consultations handled?

In-person and telehealth consultations are possible with the surgeon to whom your case is assigned. The initial visit is included in the surgical package and is valued at $375.
We can also obtain the flights from the volunteer pilot nonprofit if you’d like to come for initial and follow-up visits in person. One follow-up visit is included in the surgical package at a value of $175. Any additional visits are charged at the time of service to your credit or debit card.