When does swelling go down after otoplasty? Complications after otoplasty

They can be eliminated either surgically or conservatively, depending on the clinical situation.

Asymmetry of the ears

It is discovered some time after the operation, when the swelling subsides and the bandages and sutures are removed.

Complete symmetry of the ears is quite difficult to achieve, so minor asymmetry does not require repeated surgical intervention. If the asymmetry is significant, then a repeat operation is performed.

Prevention of complications after otoplasty

It is not recommended to wash your hair for some time after surgery. For 1-2 months after surgery, you should not engage in active or traumatic sports. In addition, in the first time after surgery, you should carefully avoid household head injuries, which can lead to damage to the ears.

The risk of complications after otoplasty will be minimized if the patient carefully selects a qualified plastic surgeon and also carefully follows his recommendations in the postoperative period.

Gavrilchenko A. A.

Good afternoon. Even at this stage of rehabilitation, it is clear that you got an excellent result after otoplasty.
Wait until the swelling of the soft tissues goes away completely (3-4 months) and go to your doctor for a follow-up examination. During the examination, you will take control photos, compare them with the preoperative ones and evaluate the result together.
In my opinion, correction is not indicated for you.

Good afternoon A little over a month later, otoplasty was done on both ears; the ears turned out to be pressed differently - I’m attaching a photo. The left ear is less pressed, but from the front and side it looks more natural than the right one, only the folds at the back of the ear are confusing, and the right one bends sideways towards the bottom, but from above it turned out to be more pressed to the head and from the side and from the front it looks bent. Is it possible to bend it slightly?

Gavrilchenko A. A.

Good afternoon.
At this stage of rehabilitation, it is too early to evaluate the result, as swelling still remains.
Please send me a photo before the operation.

Hello, on August 24, 2019, otoplasty was performed on both ears, cartilage was removed. They told me to wear the bandage for a week without removing or changing any dressings. Our bandages moved a little and opened our ears. To avoid infection, we carefully returned the bandages to their original place, but we saw the ears. They are large and purple and do not fit tightly to the head; there are bubbles with clear liquid on the ears. Is this normal or should I panic and go to the surgeon? Is it possible to do physical procedures, such as a magnet to relieve swelling and quickly resolve hematomas? Thanks for the answer.

Nikolaeva E. V.

A week without dressing is quite a long time for a conditionally sterile operation. The color and size of the ears correspond to the rehabilitation period. Bubbles with liquid (they may look like blisters after a burn) indicate superficial necrosis; this will heal without a trace in 3-4 months with proper care.

Batyukov D. V.

You should definitely see your doctor.

from Ter:

Thank you very much for your answer! We'll wait, but what should we do with the bandage, remove and process it ourselves, and then put the rollers back on and close it? And then how to process it? The doctors won’t take care of us, because the recommendation states not to remove the bandage for a week, they say come on Saturday, but the bandage is soaked in blood and constantly slides off, has become stiff, and what should we do about the necrosis? Our doctor is in another city and we can see him through month.

Batyukov D. V.

You don’t understand - you should go to your doctor. He must figure it out. Does he know about the problem?

Good afternoon. I had otoplasty in 2009. It was necessary to essentially fix one ear, but so that they were the same, I asked to have surgery on both. The result is that the ear, which in fact did not need correction, was done very well, it was naturally changed, and to this day it has been made and remains unchanged, it has “taken root”, in other words. Three months later, I went back for a second operation, because there was no result for the problem ear; the protruding ear took its former shape within a month. After repeated otoplasty a few months later, for the second time, everything returned to its place. Moreover, I followed all the doctor’s recommendations and slept in a bandage for six months. The situation did not suit me and a few years later, in the summer of 2016, I went to another doctor for the third operation on this ear. I won’t say that my ear was very protruding initially and therefore I don’t understand why it would be difficult to make it smaller. But 2 years later I again saw that there was no result after the third operation. The ear seems to return to its original shape. In 2018, I wrote to the third surgeon, who assured me that it was possible to do the operation a fourth time and press the ear. A month ago (summer 2019) I had my fourth operation with the third surgeon. The result is in the photo. To say that I am shocked is to say nothing! (I will say that to get my ear done, I fly to another city and spend my vacation, experience pain and spend large sums of money on these failed operations). The first surgeon did not give a clear answer, the second had already left for another city, the third replied to me via SMS that “the cartilage in the ear area (as a result of the first operations) has become thinner and now the thread simply cuts through it due to its natural tension” and that’s all, goodbye, what do you want from me!? The result was initially... But it lasted 10 days!!! After removing the bandage it disappeared. I would like to hear your opinion, why is this situation happening? The recommendations are followed every time. After the fourth operation, I went to 6 sessions of physical therapy on the doctor’s recommendation. Everything was healing well. If the cartilage was thinning, according to the last doctor, why did the ear recede into the opposite position the previous times? If the cartilage has become thinner, could the doctor have seen this during the operation and fixed it stronger, etc.? I do not know what to do! It’s the second month after the operation, I’m still sleeping in a bandage, but I know that there’s no point... Thanks in advance

Gavrilchenko A. A.

Good afternoon. Continue to follow your last doctor's recommendations. It is difficult now, without an in-person examination, to draw any conclusions about why and why “the ear returns to its shape”
An in-person examination is needed, even more palpation.
During such an examination, it will be clear how much the cartilage is deformed or thinned, and what else can ultimately be done.

Hello, thank you very much for your answers. Today is the 9th day after otoplasty, the blueness and swelling are almost gone, the ears are not bothering me, but while processing, I saw a slight divergence of the seam edges and non-critical moisture behind one ear. The doctor said that this happens and it’s normal, since little time has passed, we don’t need to remove the stitches, I just cut the thread to the level of the skin. The doctor said to smear Levomekol and treat it well with brilliant green (you can do it without Levomekol, just with brilliant green). We apply ointment at night and green paint during the day. Please tell me is this normal and will this treatment be sufficient or are there more effective ointments? I am very worried that this will lead to suture rupture and infection.

Gavrilchenko A. A.

Good Ben. Ears after otoplasty often take a little longer to heal than desired.
The doctor gave you the right recommendations, follow them and everything will be fine.

Good afternoon I had otoplasty in January. In May, my left ear started to hurt. The doctor said the internal stitches did not take root. They were pulled out and a month later they had a second operation on this ear. About a month later, the same ear began to hurt again, plus it began to stick out as before. The doctor said again the stitches did not take root, and the ear came off because the cartilage was torn. I removed the threads again. He told me to treat it with chlorhexidine and apply levomikol. He did not prescribe any antibiotics. After that 2 days passed. The swelling did not decrease, the acute pain did not go away. Please tell me if the doctor told me to do everything correctly? I’m very worried why nothing improved after removing the threads...

Batyukov D. V.

It is possible that the outbreak has not been eliminated. An in-person examination is required.

I had slightly pointed ears and I had otoplasty 1 month ago. Since there was practically no cartilage on the right ear, the doctor cut out a little behind the ear and added it. Now the form still remains acute, the doctor says that in 3 months he will correct it with a laser.
On the left ear the shape was normal, but a hard scar appeared that began to pigment. The doctor says to wait and everything will go away. I have questions: 1) was the correct method chosen for the operation; 2) will the pigmentation on the ears go away; 3) whether the scars will be noticeable; 4) will the doctor really fix the right ear with a laser? Thanks in advance for your answer.

Batyukov D. V.

What method was used?

Good afternoon. Today is day 9 after otoplasty. The bumps inside the ears, where the hollow should be, are disturbing. I don’t understand what this is? Hematoma or an incorrectly performed operation and, accordingly, an incorrect shape? Will it pass or will I need to do a repeat OP?

Gavrilchenko A. A.

The outer ear consists of cartilage tissue. It is located at an angle of 30 degrees to the head. Sometimes this parameter turns out to be larger. Then a correction is required. It is also prescribed for deformation of cartilage, to change the size of the hearing organ. In most cases, otoplasty is prescribed.

Otoplasty

This is a type of surgery aimed at changing the appearance of the outer ear. There are more than 200 types of such manipulations. Their peculiarity is that the function of the ear cannot be changed during the process, which is why otoplasty is often called a cosmetic procedure. With its help, it is possible to eliminate external defects.

Indications

The procedure is recommended for correcting the shape of the outer ear starting from the age of five. By this time, the process of formation of the hearing organ is completed. There are no age restrictions for adults. Indications for cosmetic manipulation are:

asymmetry,
irregular shape of the auricle,
partial or complete absence of shell.

The latter pathology can be either congenital or acquired.

What doctors say about otoplasty:

Kinds

Depending on the purpose of otoplasty, it is divided into two types:

Reconstructive. It is carried out to eliminate congenital or acquired defects.
Aesthetic. It is carried out to correct the shape and location of the ears.

Reconstructive

This type allows you to restore serious defects. The creation of the auricle is carried out in several stages. This may take a year or more. The process creates a cartilaginous frame based on the costal cartilage. It is then placed in place of the missing ear in a skin pocket.

Such a frame needs several months to take root in a new place. it is then detached from the head, forming the earlobe in the desired position.

During the final manipulations, the wound behind the ear is closed with a skin graft, which is also taken from the patient. Only after this the tragus and depressions are formed. Thanks to these actions, the newly created ear has all the basic elements.

Reconstructive otoplasty before and after

Aesthetic

With this type, only part of the ear is corrected, for example, the lobe or tip. This operation is performed only to improve the patient's appearance. It allows you to press your ears closer to your head.

The cause may be a bifurcated earlobe. This is not always a birth defect. Sometimes its appearance is associated with the use of heavy earrings. This operation is usually performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia.

The photo shows the result of aesthetic otoplasty

Techniques

There are several types of impact:

laser,
closed,
open.

Laser

This is an atraumatic correction using a laser beam. This method of exposure prevents the appearance of various suppurations. This type is practically bloodless, since the vessels heal very quickly. With this tool you can:

reduce or increase the size of the auricle,
eliminate protruding ears,
restore the relief of the ears.

The operation is performed under local anesthesia. After it, there are practically no scars left, and the blood vessels are tightened almost instantly. The ears look natural.

Closed

To carry out manipulations on the necessary tissues, punctures are made on the back surface of the ear. They are so small that no stitches are required. The advantages include minimal blood loss, reduced risk of colloid scar formation, and reduced surgery duration.

After the operation, the ears are supplemented with tampons and gauze soaked in an alcohol solution. After this, a fixing bandage is applied.

Open

This technique is considered classic. During the process, the ear is treated with an antiseptic; an incision is made behind the shell and a small area of dermis is excised.

Then the cartilage tissue is modeled taking into account the characteristics of the defect. Sometimes some of the cartilage is removed. Sometimes during open surgery the cartilage is folded and secured with a special suture.

How is open otoplasty performed?

Carrying out

Preparation

Before the operation you need to undergo a full medical examination. A urine and blood test is taken, a test for antigens and antibodies, and a test for syphilis.

It’s best to start preparing your body a few days in advance. To do this, take vitamins and follow a diet. Within two weeks, you should stop taking medications that affect blood clotting. About 4 hours before the start, stop drinking and eating.

Progress of the operation

First, the appropriate type of anesthesia is selected. It depends on:

patient's age,
complexity of the operation,
the expected duration of the manipulations,
the presence of concomitant pathologies.

Treatment options depend on the anatomy and the problem itself. If the classic type of otoplasty is chosen, the incision is made behind the ear. The cartilage is removed or shaped to give the ear an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

The duration of the manipulation depends on the degree of complexity. On average, it takes from 30 minutes to two hours per patient. The patient remains in the clinic for several hours. An adult can do normal activities the next day. Children are freed from lessons for a week.

After the work is completed, medical napkins and a special bandage are applied. A tampon with special pads is inserted into the ear canal. It should be changed every three days.

Demonstration of the key points of ear otoplasty:

Rehabilitation and recovery

After the procedure, the doctor prescribes. Patients usually feel discomfort for no more than a day. remain expressed for several more days.

During the recovery process, a bandage is worn that fixes the ears in a special position. Patients need to take care. The stitches are removed after about 7 days.

The full recovery period lasts up to 6 months. For 5-8 weeks, the patient is recommended to wear a special fixing bandage at night. You can wash your hair only after two weeks.

Otoplasty of ears for protruding ears

Dangerous symptoms to watch out for

After surgery, pay attention to the appearance. This side effect can be avoided by taking tests in advance. It may not take more than a day. Up to three days this is considered normal. On days 11-16 after plastic surgery, swelling and cyanosis of the ears will persist. All this time, the pain may be replaced by goosebumps or.

Pay attention if the pain does not go away for a long time or if the body temperature rises. Perhaps the inflammation has spread beyond the ear area.

When is a repeat procedure necessary?

Repeated surgery will be required if:

the result was not fully achieved,
there was a decrease in effect
there is asymmetry of the ears,
development occurred
a colloidal scar appeared.

Most often they reapply due to insufficient effect. Asymmetry may occur if the operation was performed on only one ear.

Possible complications

All complications are divided into two groups: early and late. The former appear immediately, the latter are usually delayed. Early ones include hematoma and infection. The pressure exerted on the ear cartilage by a hematoma can lead to. Infection becomes the cause of purulent chondritis.

Late complications include suture problems and aesthetic problems. The first case is not so rare, but the patient may encounter a problem at any stage of the postoperative period. Treatment consists of removing the failed suture. Aesthetic consequences include an incorrect relationship between the hearing organ and the scalp.

Changes in cartilage tissue after otoplasty

What do you need to know?

Otoplasty is best performed at 5-8 years of age. At this time, the cartilage is already formed, but the body recovers very quickly. However, adults can undergo such treatment at any stage.

Despite the presence of contraindications, the advantages of otoplasty include the ability to correct significant ear defects. The operation can take place on one or two ears at once. However, there are no vital medical indications for this operation.

If you follow medical recommendations, a positive effect is achieved in 99% of cases. Recommendations include using a headband, avoiding wearing glasses and earrings, not blow-drying your hair, and avoiding swimming pools and saunas.

If you decide to undergo otoplasty, then appropriate attention should be paid to compliance with all the rules of the recovery period.

Any self-respecting plastic surgeon will say with confidence that for the first days of the rehabilitation period the patient will need a special elastic headband after otoplasty. Therefore, it is necessary to buy it in advance, before the operation.

Using an elastic bandage instead of a bandage is not recommended.

The bandage should not put too much pressure on the head and should not be tight, so when purchasing, you should choose the appropriate size.

The bandage is elastic, about 7 cm wide, translucent, mesh, which allows the skin to breathe, and is fixed with Velcro.
The headbands are available for children and adults, and are very beautiful in appearance.
You can buy a bandage at any pharmacy.

The main function of an elastic headband after otoplasty is to protect the ears from mechanical damage and fix the new shape of the ears. The bandage also secures cotton swabs soaked in an oil solution (mainly Vaseline), which prevents infection and favorably promotes the healing of sutures.

The elastic bandage is made of fabric material using antibacterial powder. The average duration of cartilage fusion lasts about 1-2.5 months. Active sports should be postponed for 4-5 months. The bandage must be worn for 7-10 days, maximum 14 days, and another month while sleeping, so as not to damage the seams.

Attention

It is important to prevent water from coming into contact with the dressing. It is recommended to sleep on your back so as not to cause discomfort and not disturb the healing stitches. With proper use of an elastic bandage, surgical sutures heal faster and the effect of the operation is enhanced.

Otoplasty is a plastic surgery that requires special attention during the rehabilitation period. If all recommendations for the post-operative period are not followed, the result may be zero.

The need for a bandage after otoplasty

After you have removed the bandage, you will need to use a post-otoplasty bandage during the recovery process. This should be done 3-4 days after the operation.

It is important to choose the correct size bandage to prevent severe compression of the head and disruption of blood circulation.

If you feel pain when using a bandage, you should choose a larger bandage. The bandage performs the fixing function of the ears that have undergone surgery.

Also wearing a bandage reduces swelling and possible bruising.

In most cases, the material of the bandage is treated with a medical silver solution, which allows you to preserve the operated area naturally from pathogenic microflora during the rehabilitation period.

The mesh structure of the bandage after otoplasty allows the skin to breathe, which has a positive effect on the healing process of sutures and maintaining normal blood circulation. When removing the bandage, the seams must be coated with Vaseline to prevent infection from entering open wounds.

This is interesting

The bandage looks quite beautiful, resembling a sports headband; you can even choose the color of the bandage - black or beige. It is recommended to wear the bandage around the clock for two weeks, and then put it on at night for 2 months in order to avoid damaging the surgical sutures during sleep.

The effect obtained after otoplasty directly depends on the correct wearing of the bandage, which is an integral part of the rehabilitation period. The bandage minimizes the possible discomfort that the patient will experience during the healing process of the sutures.

The usefulness of compression bandages on the ears after otoplasty

An indispensable part of the recovery process after surgery is the use of a compression bandage, which can be purchased at any pharmacy or textile store. Most often, the cost of a compression bandage after otoplasty is already included in the cost of the operation and is given to the patient directly at the clinic.

For the correct rehabilitation process, the use of a bandage is necessary. It is important to buy a bandage that suits your size so that it does not put pressure on your head and thereby interfere with blood circulation to the brain.

Using a compression bandage after otoplasty

The compression bandage, in turn, performs the following functional range:

fixing the correct position of the ears throughout the entire recovery process;
prevention of infection and inflammation of open wounds due to infection;
reduction of bruising and swelling;
protection of the surgical site from injury and mechanical impact.

The compression bandage is made of a special medical material with an antibacterial coating. Breathable material promotes better healing and circulation.

The compression bandage is quite elastic, which allows you to adjust the level of compression. Any self-respecting plastic surgeon will insist on using a compression bandage to achieve the maximum effect from the operation, since the bandage directly affects the result.

Due to the fact that each person has their own characteristics of the body, the healing process may be different, but the maximum period of wearing a compression bandage is no more than two weeks. If you plan to play sports, then during exercise you must wear a bandage for six months.

Otoplasty is a branch of aesthetic surgery that helps correct the size and shape of the ears. It is used to correct congenital and acquired ear defects, eliminate asymmetry and give them a beautiful shape. Modern equipment and effective medications make the operation as quick and painless as possible. After otoplasty is performed, rehabilitation is the most important point on which the final result of the entire procedure depends, so it is necessary to treat it with special attention.

How is otoplasty performed?

Otoplasty is one of the few plastic surgeries that are successfully performed under local anesthesia. It takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the degree of difficulty. Virtually no preliminary preparation is required. But in order to make sure there are no medical contraindications that can cause various complications, you will have to undergo a series of laboratory tests.

The incisions are made with a regular or laser scalpel behind the ears, where they will subsequently become completely invisible. After all necessary manipulations have been completed, the incision sites are closed with cosmetic sutures. How long rehabilitation after otoplasty lasts largely depends on the individual characteristics of the body, as well as on the amount of correction performed.

Stages of rehabilitation

Typically, after otoplasty is performed, recovery begins within a couple of hours. Immediately after the operation, the ears are fixed with a special plaster, a cotton compress with a healing agent is applied to them, and a tight elastic bandage around the head maintains the correct position. The entire rhinoplasty rehabilitation period is divided into several key stages.

It is advisable to avoid playing ball, contact martial arts and other sports in which the ears can be injured.

Postoperative dressing

The bandage, which must be worn during the rehabilitation period after otoplasty, reliably holds both conchae in the correct position. In addition, it is necessary to prevent their displacement before the tissue healing process begins.

This product copes well with the following tasks:

protects ears from injury;
prevents the spread of hematomas and edema that usually form in the operated area.

Note that the bandage after otoplasty has a very convenient feature. Manufacturers produce it in the so-called universal size. But it fits on any head, as it is equipped with a special clasp.

What does it look like

This medical accessory has a ring shape. In essence, this is a simple bandage - elastic or ordinary. If desired, it is permissible to wear a bandage instead.

Today you can buy a special head bandage in pharmacies or specialized medical equipment stores. In terms of characteristics, it is no different from a compression bandage after otoplasty. But it looks much more presentable.

This accessory is very similar to the headband that athletes usually wear. It can often be seen, for example, on tennis players. It differs, as already mentioned, only in the presence of an adjustable fastener (Velcro).

Duration of wearing

Many people are interested in how long they will have to wear the bandage. As a rule, the doctor recommends walking in it for at least a week. The maximum period is 14 days. This accessory can only be removed with the permission of a doctor.

After the doctor has put a compression bandage on the patient, the patient can go home. True, then he will need to make several more visits to the clinic so that the surgeon can monitor how the rehabilitation is going and make dressings.

It is necessary to change the bandage. This is necessary to maintain hygiene and prevent the development of pathological processes.

The patient must be bandaged at least twice:

The next day after surgery. At the same time, the doctor evaluates the work done.
On day 8. The stitches are removed. The surgeon carefully examines the ears and gives recommendations for care.

Proper wearing of a compression bandage after otoplasty and compliance with all rehabilitation rules will largely determine the cosmetic effect of the intervention.

Possible complications

Otoplasty is not a complex or traumatic operation, therefore, if all recommendations for the rehabilitation period are followed strictly, complications are extremely rare. Negative consequences after otoplasty occur in cases where:

the sutures become infected and rot;
inflammation is activated due to refusal of antibiotics;
bleeding occurs due to mechanical injury;
The ear is deformed due to displacement of the fixing bandage.

It is extremely rare that due to insufficient qualifications of the surgeon, complete or partial loss of ear sensitivity occurs, as well as curvature of the shape of the auricle. Therefore, before deciding to have an operation, it is necessary to collect as much information and reviews as possible about the doctor and the clinic where otoplasty will be performed.

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