I had an incisionless otoplasty two weeks ago and now one of my ears has retuned to its original position.

Question

When I take my head wrap off to shower, one ear looks perfect and I notice the bad ear is slightly back to where I want it, but after about a minute it protrudes forward. Is there anything I can do like wearing the bandage tighter to help the ear move backward or should I have it redone?

Nima Shemirani, MD · Answer

Dear Mary,I agree with Dr Ward and suggest that you visit your surgeonIt will probably just require another stitch or too to get where you want to beBest regards,Dr. Nima

P. Daniel Ward, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. I would definitely talk to your surgeon to help figure out what is going on. You don’t want the head band too tight, when ch can cause wound healing issues.Good luck as you heal and have a great day!

Amiya Prasad, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. You state you had incisionless otoplasty 2 weeks prior, and one of your ears has returned to its original position. You state that one ear protrudes after you remove the headwrap. You are asking if wearing the headwrap tighter will help the ear move backward, or if you need to have the procedure redone.
I can certainly give you some guidance about your ears, even without a photo, and in the absence of a physical exam. I’m Dr. Amiya Prasad. I’m a Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon and Fellowship-trained Oculoplastic Surgeon. I’ve been in practice in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years. I perform all types of cosmetic ear procedures from bringing back prominent ears, ear reshaping, earlobe reduction, and even correcting pixie ear deformities due to facelifts.
Otoplasty done without any incisions or cartilage reshaping, removal, and/or weakening have a high chance of regression. Ear cartilage has a “memory”, and if cartilage wasn’t removed or weakened in any way, which would require incisions, then there is a high likelihood of regression of ear prominence. Wrapping a headband tighter, or pulling the ears back with incisions alone will not prevent ear cartilage from springing back to its original position because of cartilage memory. Ear cartilage will have to be weakened and/or removed to reduce prominence, and to prevent regression into its original position.
I suggest you talk to your original surgeon about cartilage removal and weakening, but if they don’t consider it as an option, you may want to seek other opinions. Otoplasty is not such a common procedure that a surgeon can build a practice on focusing on it, but many surgeons who offer it don’t practice cartilage weakening and removal. Prominent ears are due to excess and/or misshapen ear cartilage, so there must be some removal or weakening of cartilage to prevent regression, and ensure long-lasting results. I hope you found this information helpful. Thank you for your question.

I had an incisionless otoplasty two weeks ago and now one of my ears has retuned to its original position.

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I had an incisionless otoplasty two weeks ago and now one of my ears has retuned to its original position.

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Ear Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.