Major Swelling After Dog Ear Repair Surgery? (photo)

Dear Melanie:

Hard to tell from California. The swelling could be normal or it could be a problem. A certain amount of swelling is to be expected four days after surgery; howwever, increasing swelling associated with increasing pain is not normal at four days. The best thing to do is to call for plastic surgeon and let them check you. If it is normal, you will be reassured. If it is a problem, treatment can be started today. Good luck.

It will take several weeks for the majority of swelling to dissipate. The scarring process will take several months,  and even up to one year, to mature.   During this process, the look and feel of the scars will improve. Therefore, probably no reason to be “concerned”.

 Continue to follow-up with your plastic surgeon. Hopefully you will be pleased with the long-term outcome of the procedure performed.

Best wishes.

Hello and thanks for your post. It is very common to have a "dog ear" treated in the office under local anesthesia in the exact same manner your surgeon did it. However, the painful swelling could represent a few problems that you should make your surgeon aware. Best wishes, Dr. Aldo.