Otoplasty surgery. What can be the cause the ears to come back to the same position after a short period from the surgery date?

Question

hi, doctor. i want to ask about reasons that can cause the ears to come back to the same position after a short period from the surgery date. I have done my surgery before 2 months and now my ears went back to the previous position. I have asked my doctor about it and he said it is because the ear Cartilage is slightly moving during the healing period, so it be totally shaped by 6 months. so my question is that right ?

Amiya Prasad, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. You state you’re two months out after otoplasty, and you say your ears have gone back to their original position. You’re asking for feedback from doctors regarding whether this is normal.Just a bit about my background — I’m a Board-certified cosmetic surgeon and a Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, practicing in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years. Otoplasty is certainly a procedure we perform quite frequently in our practice, so I can give you some perspective on it. When it comes to otoplasty, you have to think about the ear in terms of thirds: the upper third, the middle, and the lower third. Proper handling of the cartilage of the upper and middle thirds of the ear is very important, and in your case, it sounds like the part has moved outward is most likely the middle part of the ear.One of the challenges of otoplasty is the memory of the cartilage - the springiness of cartilage so it tends to go back to its original shape even if you fold it. I suspect you may have had what is called the setback procedure, wherein the cartilage was brought towards the back of the head or towards the skull using only sutures. There might be some controversy regarding what I’m about to say, but how cooperative the cartilage is is also important. In our practice, what I do is perform a resection and removal of the cartilage, and then reset it in such a way that even if the stitches were released, the cartilage wouldn’t spring back.That being said, I think you may need to consider a re-operation of your ears, especially since they have gone back to where they were after two months. After we perform an otoplasty, we usually have patients wear a headband or a sweatband when they go to sleep to maintain the ears in a certain position, though this is customized individually. The point is that we want the cartilage to heal in a predictable way, so that the patient gets the desired outcome and symmetry. You can expect a little drift or shifting, but ultimately, there should be significant and stable improvement.I recommend that you wait a few months, until everything settles, and then follow up with your doctor and discuss what your options are in terms of revision. I hope that was helpful and I wish you the best of luck!

Waldemar Merck, MD · Answer

An ear should not return to its original position after an otoplasty. If this happened in your case and the operation was carried out with unbreakable sutures, it must be assumed that the sutures/stitches have cut into the cartilage like a knife and thereby lost their function. In this case, the sutures that have become functionless must be removed and replaced by new sutures.

Otoplasty surgery. What can be the cause the ears to come back to the same position after a short period from the surgery date?

Answers (2)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Ear Surgery

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

Otoplasty surgery. What can be the cause the ears to come back to the same position after a short period from the surgery date?

Answers (2)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Ear Surgery

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