Your surgery at a glance

• Stay in Tunisia : 7 nights = 3 nights at the clinic + 4 nights at the hotel.
• Hospital stay : daycase or 3 nights(1night before + 2 nights after the surgery).
• Length : 1 hour.
• Anesthesia : twilight with local or general anesthesia.
• Side Effects : bruising, swelling, temporary numbness, temporary skin irregularity.
• Risks : infection, excessive scarring, asymmetry, bleeding, permanent numbness, recurrence
• Recovery : 1 – 2 weeks.
• Result : 12 weeks until final result. Scars continue to improve over 18 month
• Result: lasts for 6 to 9 months.

What is Otoplasty – Ear Pinning Surgery  ?

Pinnaplasty or Otoplasty is an operation, which adjusts the shape of the cartilage within the ear to create the missing folds and to allow the ear to lie closer to the side of the head. Because the operation is carried out from behind the ears, a small scar is left close to the groove between the ear and the side of the head.

Is Otoplasty – Ear Pinning Surgery  right for you?

• Any of the following conditions may make you a good candidate for Otoplasty:
• If you have prominent ears that stick out from your head
• If you have ears that are malformed in any way or shape
• If one ear is more prominent than the other
• If your ear is missing one of its folds
• If your earlobe is more prominent than the rest of the ear
• If you are more tan 7 years old

Your Otoplasty – Ear Pinning Surgery Consultation

During your consultation, your surgeon will ask about your medical history and any previous ear surgery you may have had. She will examine your ears.

She will also point out the normal asymmetry of your ears, something you have probably never noticed.

This asymmetry is caused by differences in the size and shape of your ears and in the shape of your skull where the ears sit. One of the goals of your surgery will be to improve this asymmetry, although it will never be perfect.

Each patient is different, so your surgeon will discuss with you the best option after examining you.

Additional Information about Ear Pinning Surgery - Otoplasty Abroad

Preparation for Otoplasty – Ear Pinning Surgery

Smokers will be asked to stop smoking 2 weeks before surgery. Aspirin and some anti-inflammatory drugs can cause increased bleeding, so you should avoid taking these medications for 2 weeks before surgery.

Your Otoplasty – Ear Pinning Surgery Operation

This operation takes 1 hour to perform and can be performed under a local anaesthetic for older children and adults or a general anaesthetic for younger children. It would be very unusual to perform the surgery on children under the age of 7. The operative techniques vary depending on the individual need, but essentially comprises an excision of skin on the back of the ear, and from this access, the cartilage of the top of the ear is weakened by scoring it with a sharp instrument and a new fold made in the cartilage which is held in place with permanent stitches which are buried under the skin. The wound is then closed with dissolving stitches and covered with a head bandage.

You will usually need to wear a dressing on the ears for five to 10 days after surgery for protruding ears, and after this time you may need to wear protective headgear in bed to prevent your ears from being bent forwards while they heal for 5 to 6 weeks.

The location of the scar in a prominent ear correction is behind the ear so it is hidden from view from the front.

After you Otoplasty – Ear Pinning Surgery

You will have a bandage on your head, which will stay in place for anywhere from 5 to 10 days. There is surprisingly little pain but any discomfort you may feel will be controlled by pain medication. There will be some post-operative bruising and swelling which will subside over approximately two weeks. The ears are often a little numb after the procedure, and this usually takes several weeks to settle.

Otoplasty – Ear Pinning Surgery Complications

All surgery inevitably carries some uncertainty and risk,  however they are small and infrequent.. Otoplasty is one of the most common cosmetic procedures performed each year, and it can be done very safely.

• Bleeding: This is most likely to happen the day of surgery. It is usually only mild oozing from the edges of the skin and stops by itself.
• Infection: This is uncommon after Otoplasty surgery but as with any operation, it may occur. Should this happen, antibiotics will be prescribed to treat the infection.
• Incomplete correction of the prominence: It is very important to communicate with the surgeon before the operation to make certain you have realistic expectations of the outcome.
• Asymmetry: Perfect symmetry of the ears is very difficult to achieve and slight differences between the two ears may occur.
• Scarring: All new scars are red, dark pink, or purple. Scars of the face usually fade as they mature within 3 to 6 months. Our objective is to make them as inconspicuous as possible. In some cases broad or raised scars (keloids) develop. After the healing process is complete these can be revised.

Your New Look after Otoplasty – Ear Pinning Surgery Abroad

After healing, many patients experience an increased level of comfort with their overall appearance. Though most patients are very happy with their results, those expecting perfection rather than improvement are often disappointed. Expectations such as perfectly symmetrical ears are not realistic. Keep in mind, the goal is improvement, not perfection. Don’t expect both ears to match perfectly-perfect symmetry is both unlikely and unnatural in ears. If you’ve discussed the procedure and your expectations with the surgeon before the operation, chances are, you’ll be very pleased with the result.