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POSTED UNDER Ear Surgery REVIEWS

Uneven Stick out Ears Fixed!! - West Orange, NJ

ORIGINAL POST

My left ear stuck out about 2cm more than my right...

happynewearsJanuary 26, 2014
WORTH IT$6,000
My left ear stuck out about 2cm more than my right ear, on top of that, it also have a very different shape. It just bothers me so much that I decided to do Otoplasty.

During my first consultation, I was very impressed with the attitude of the staffs as well as how professional Dr. Joseph is. Everybody smiled like sunshine. Immediately, I decided that this is the surgeon I want to fix my ears.

The method for my procedure is the one with the permanent sutures, where permanent sutures stay within my ears forever. For the best result, Dr. Joseph highly recommended taking the general anesthesia.

Right after the procedure, my ears look very swollen and very pinned back. At first I was a little worried about the swollen ears, but after two weeks everything turned out great!

Today, after a month. The ears are completely back to normal, pain free, hardly any scar and no sign of redness. Overall I believe I had a great experience with this surgery, there is no pain at all and I didn't take any painkillers that are prescribed to me, but the first 3 days post-op was very uncomfortable to sleep because I was not used to sleep on my back.

I am so glad that having stuck out ears are no longer an issue of mine, right now my ears look perfectly symmetrical and pinned back!

Dr.Joseph, Thank you so much!

happynewears's provider

Eric M. Joseph, MD

Eric M. Joseph, MD

Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon

4.9 | 627 Reviews
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Replies (10)

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Dr. Waldemar Merck
January 28, 2014
Hello happynewears. I’m pleased to hear that you are so happy with the result one month after the otoplasty. Unfortunately, nothing can be said about the final result yet, just one month after an otoplasty. That applies to the traditional otoplasty methods as well as to the new minimally invasive stitch method. You should wait at least 3 months, or better still 6 months. Only then is it possible to make a statement about the result in the majority of cases. It would be great if you would report back again in six months’ time.
pleasehelp111
September 24, 2014
Dr. Merk, Who can perform the stitch method here in the U.S.? I like the idea of a non invasive approach because many people who had an otoplasty with cartilage removal or sutures techniques end up with undesirable results ( I include myself ).
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Dr. Waldemar Merck
September 24, 2014
Hello pleasehelp111. I don’t know of any surgeon in the US who can pin protruding ears with the Dr Merck stitch method.
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ericmjoseph
September 24, 2014
What is the "Dr Merck stitch method" of Otoplasty? Do you have any photos demonstrating your results after a year? Thank you.
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Dr. Waldemar Merck
September 25, 2014
All the essential information on the “Dr Merck stitch method” can be found on Dr Merck’s English website. The link is: http://www.ear-clinic.com The link to the publication is: http://link.springer.com/article/10.100 ... 013-0265-9
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ericmjoseph
September 25, 2014
Thank you for the links, Dr Merck. FYI, the Springer link above results in error. Using my desktop computer, the 9 after photos on your web site do not specify whether you used the "Dr Merck stitch method" or a more traditional approach. The three before and after photos here on RealSelf labeled "stitch method" show limited, but pleasing results. After 8000 ears corrected, we might all benefit from seeing more examples of your work here on RealSelf. Thank you again.
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Dr. Waldemar Merck
September 26, 2014
The 9 after photos on my website show results achieved with the stitch method. That is why they also appear under the title, “Examples of ears corrected with the Dr. Merck Stitch Method”. The photos posted on RealSelf are also results achieved with the stitch method, as you have correctly noted. All these photos are representative results of the stitch method. Further public posting of results of the stitch method would breach medical confidentiality. However, it is permitted to show numerous other examples of operated patients to any interested parties who come to my practice. Thus we have also added, "You can see many before and after photos here at our practice", to the description of these photos on our website. The correct link to my publication is: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12631-013-0265-9
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ericmjoseph
January 28, 2014
In our practice, we have been blessed with many happy patients following Otoplasty Surgery. Our technique typically involves Mustarde sutures for recreation of an antihelical fold, and conchal set-back sutures as described by Furnas. In our practice, when patients are suitable for said procedure, we have not seen significant post-operative changes, or decreased patient satisfaction, over the course of a year. Dearest happynewears, thank you so much for your kind words, and for sharing your positive experience in our practice. Based on our experience, you should not be concerned about negative, unwanted changes with time. In fact, my hunch is that your satisfaction with your ears will increase with time, as you continue to heal. God bless. Dr. Joseph
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Dr. Waldemar Merck
January 29, 2014
Hi ericmjoseph. I’m pleased that you have such success with the method that you are using for pinning protruding ears. Unfortunately, not every surgeon can claim such success. The statements about the success rates of the traditional methods involving Mustarde sutures in the medical literature are different. There you can read time and again that there is relapse, whose frequency of occurrence markedly differs from author to author. It is also generally known that a relapse, should it occur, can first be seen after several months.
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ericmjoseph
January 29, 2014
Dr. Merck: If you look at the 76 Ear Surgery reviews here at RealSelf, you can see that 89% of patients felt their Otoplasty Surgeries were "Worth it". I am blessed to have received world-class fellowship training in advanced facial plastic surgery, and Otoplasty Surgery is performed in our practice with regularity and joy. In the experience of my teachers and in our private practice, "relapse" has not been an issue. If you would like to discuss this further, I would invite you to give us a call, or feel free to send us an email. May God bless you. Dr. Joseph
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