How Long to Wear Headband After an Otoplasty That Involved Cartilage Excision?

How long and often a headband should be worn after a patient has undergone an Otoplasty is a very specific question that should be answered by your surgeon.  In my practice, the patient has a soft cotton and elastic dressing that is worn the first night after surgery.  It is removed the next day and this when I instruct the patient to wear an athletic headband or a wide hairband used to keep the hair off the face when washing all the time for the first week. They are allowed to take it off only for bathing.  After the first week, they are only required to wear it at night for a month.  The softer and wider the head band the better, and it is to cover the ears, not be placed behind them.
Hope you found this answer helpful.  All the best!

You are a good patient!  It is wonderful that you are following post op instructions as otoplasty is a very delicate surgery. I advice that my patients wear a headband for 1 week straight 24/7 and then at night for 3 more weeks. It is always wise to follow your physician's advice. 

Each surgeon's recommendations regarding post-operative care after Otoplasty are going to vary. My patients are instructed to wear the headband as much as possible for 2 weeks after surgery, day and night, and then switch to wearing it as-needed during the day and every night for the next two weeks (up until the one month point after surgery). At that point, patients are instructed to use the headband as needed or if they feel like they need additional support.
All the best,

The vast majority of otoplasty
patients recover quickly and experience minimal disruption to their day to day
lives.  Patients typically wear a
large head dressing for the first 2 to 5 days after surgery.  Patients are then switched to a
compressive head band which is worn around the clock for three weeks.  At this point, they are required to
wear the head band for an additional three weeks at night.  This helps avoid trauma to the ear from
abnormal folding which can occur while the ear is still numb.  This approach is associated with high
success rates and a low incidence of recurrence.

Use of head band following otoplasty
Although different surgeons have different recommendations my personal preference is to use a head band for the first 6 weeks when you are in your home and at night to take tension off your internal repair as it heals and also for protection. Ask your plastic surgeon about his preference especially in light of the fact that he will know best specific to your individual surgery

Hi!

Thank you for your question.

I agree with the other doctors that it is best to consult with your
board certified plastic surgeon and follow his instructions. Wearing
the headband is crucial for the healing process and will benefit you
in the long run.

Good Luck!

Dr. Sam Speron

There are a lot of different protocols when it comes to aftercare following otoplasty. I would listen to your surgeon as that's who knows your situation best. It's hard to know whether you would have any different result if you were to just wear the headband at night at this point, but why risk affecting your results?

I advise my patients to wear a headband for 2-3 weeks continuously after Otoplasty, and for 6 weeks at bedtime after Otoplasty Surgery. May I suggest you listen to your surgeon, and wear your headband for another week as he recommended. Other than being annoying, it will protect your ears, and certainly won't hurt.

Hope this helps.

Dr. Joseph

After otoplasty, it is important to wear the headband to protect your ears.  Without having you as a patient, it is impossible and also inappropriate for us to commend on or contradict what your surgeon suggested.  If you are having a problem with your headband, then you should address this with your surgeon.  If you post before and after pictures, we may be able to commend further.

 

Good Luck.

I would do what your surgeon recommends.  They have a reason that they have chosen a particular protocol.  If you think about it, a surgeon's postoperative protocol works in tandem with what they do at the time of the operation.  So my protocol works for me, but it may not work for your surgeon and vise-versa.
Having said that, the surgery is generally important than the postoperative protocol.  Not much would change if you just did a postoperative protocol without the surgery.  All the best!