I have recently had rhinoplasty surgery performed by Dr Woods. My nose looks amazing! I cannot believe the difference. I would definitely recommend this wonderful professional to anyone considering an operation. I cannot thank him enough. Mary
Otoplasty is a common procedure performed in Australia for prominent or 'Dumbo' ears and provides excellent and reliable results for this problem, which can affect self-esteem. The scar is well hidden in the fold behind the ear and is essentially invisible to people passing in the street (if someone looks very closely at your ear from close range they may still see the scar). It would be extremely rare for this to ever be a concern for people post surgery - I have certainly never had a patient complain about the appearance of the scar afterwards.
The cost of otoplasty in Australia is much cheaper than the quoted amounts in the USA -this is in large part due to our differing health care systems. This ear surgery is rebatable with private health insurance -surgery for children as day surgery (or one night stay) is usually offered with total out-of-pocket costs under $1500 Australian. Surgery may also be possible in the public teaching hospitals for children -there are longer waiting periods (up to a year) and you will not be able to choose your surgeon.
Ear pinning back surgery (otoplasty) can be performed with the placement of permanent sutures to adjust the shape of the ear. Specialist techniques can reduce the risk of these sutures ever protruding, but it can occur occasionally. See your surgeon -removal of the problem suture is simple and will not affect the long term result of your surgery.
Immediately after the head band dressing is removed following surgery, you or your child will notice the change. After 6 weeks you will have a very close idea of the likely final outcome of your ear surgery. There will still be some mild swelling at this time that will settle -and you will still need to care for the small scar on the back of the ear to ensure the best results .
Scars go through a natural process of maturation. This can lead to thickening and a pinker colour in the first 3 months after the procedure. Careful surgical technique can minimise the risk of keloid scarring after ear surgery. It is unusual to develop keloid scarring 1 month after surgery, but it would be best to see your surgeon for a review -sometimes a simple steroid (triamcinolone) injection may improve the situation.
