Chronic pain +10 years after otoplasty, what can be done?

Question

I underwent otoplasty 12 years ago and I've been enduring chronic pain behind my right ear since then. I finally went to see my surgeon last year and he removed a thread which had pierced through the ear and was just here for all those years. Unfortunately the pain didn't stop and since he had no solution I went to see another surgeon who told me she would not operate me because the pros outweigh the cons. Do you think I should keep looking for a surgeon who agrees to try to help me?

Eric M. Joseph, MD · Answer

As I read your narrative, I was thinking that perhaps a permanent suture could be causing you discomfort. When suture otoplasty is performed, we typically place six sutures behind somebody's ear. If you have pinpoint pain over one of the sutures that has not extruded, depending on your examination, I might consider injecting a drop of steroid into the area of pain. If this were to provide relief, a simple exploration and removal of the bothersome suture could be performed. I hope this helps. Sincerely, Dr Joseph

Chronic pain +10 years after otoplasty, what can be done?

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