Our ears are aesthetically important as well as hearing. The most common deformity of the auricle is when the angle between the auricle and the skull bone behind it is too large, so that the ear is too visible. This is called "prominent ear" and can lead to social and psychological problems, especially in children and young people. Prominent ear is a genetic problem. The materials produced for prominent ear problems are not long-term solutions, they offer a temporary solution. Prominent ear problems can be successfully corrected with surgery. What is desired here is to bring the ears closer to the head without disturbing the natural appearance.
The development of the ears starts after birth and is 80% complete by the age of 5-6. Surgery can be performed at this age and for children starting school, this surgery is of great importance in terms of protecting their self-confidence. Children with prominent ears may be subjected to ridicule and may stay away from school life.
There are no externally visible scars in Prominent Ear Aesthetics
In the preoperative consultation for prominent ear, front - back side photos of the ear are taken. Prominent ear surgery is performed with a vertical incision of approximately 3-4 cm behind the ear. The surgery takes 1-1.5 hours and patients can return home within 4-5 hours after surgery. Since the incision is behind the ear, there is no scarring and the compression tampon applied after this surgery allows the new shape of the ear to appear within 2-3 days. Postoperative care is very important: The printed tampon should be used for an average of 3 days and the hair band worn at night should be used for 3-4 weeks. Patients should not expose their ears to rough movements for a few weeks (for example in barbershops) and should not wear glasses or earrings for a month. He/she can take a bath 3-4 days after the surgery. Our patient's regular use of anti-infection medications and compliance with the recommended care procedures increase the success of the surgery by 100%.
Ear Deformities
Deformities of the ear caused by congenital or traumatic causes include prominent ear, too small or too large ear, absence of ear, irregularities in the auricle, absence or faint ear folds. Especially in childhood, this problem can lead to psycho-social problems and lack of self-confidence. For this reason, surgical correction is recommended from the age of 5-6.
What are the Causes?
Prominent ears are caused entirely by genetic factors. If the prominent ear, which is a congenital problem, is seen in the mother or father, the probability of its occurrence in the person increases.
The prominent ear problem may occur because the angle between the bone behind the ear and the auricle is too wide compared to normal.
Prominent ear problem occurs because the ear cartilages are congenitally loose.
The presence of deformities in the ear structure due to hereditary reasons causes the folds in the upper part of the ear to not form sufficiently and the auricle to be flat as if it were ironed.
Studies on prominent ear conditions are investigating the relationship between the laxity of the ear muscles and estrogen hormone levels in the blood.
What is done in Prominent Ear Surgery?
The focus of prominent ear surgeries is to restore the ear to an aesthetically ideal shape. The surgery is performed on two main problems. First, if the angle formed by the ear with the head is wide, stitches are used to bring this angle closer to normal. These stitches are applied to the area where the ear meets the head to achieve an ideal ear-head angle. Secondly, if there are not enough folds in the ear, stitches are placed in the cartilage behind the ear to compensate for this deficiency. With this procedure, the flat and unaesthetic appearance of the ear is replaced with a natural curve.
The aperture of the auricle and the structure of the ear cartilage are important in the surgery. Accordingly, the ear is given a new shape either by using only sutures, by weakening the ear cartilage with sutures or by removing a certain cartilage and suturing it again.
In the first week, there may be slight edema and swelling in the ear, but this passes in a few days. In the first months, it is necessary to protect our ear against trauma-impacts.
Prominent ear surgery is an operation that gives confidence to the person with successful results.
