Should the sutures behind the ear after an otoplasty be removed?

Thanks for the question.Permanent sutures are used during otoplasty surgery to pin back the ears. The sutures are thin and situated underneath the thin skin on the back of the ear. One of the risks of this surgery is that these permanent sutures can make there way to the surface. Most plastic surgeons believe that these sutures are no longer needed for support after 6 months. The sutures are not routinely removed unless they create problems like in your case.Since your surgery was 20 months ago, I see no reason that the suture cannot be removed. At this point, I don't think you will risk your ears "springing" out again. Talk to your surgeon, so that you can make plans to remove this one suture. The other remaining sutures do not need to be removed. Otoplasty patients have lived with their permanent suture their whole lives without problems.Good Luck!

even if a suture is not currently causing an infection, if it is protruding, it means there is a connection from the skin to the inside.  cartilage is susceptible to infections, so I typically would recommend removing.  a slight bounce back of the ear is possible, but after six months, enough scarring has typically occurred that this is less of a concern.  best to return to your operating surgeon to have him acess it.

Thank you for your question. I recommend that you follow up with your surgeon to be sure that the area looks normal for this time period. If there are sutures coming through your skin, they may need to be removed as they can cause infection.