I had otoplasty 9 years ago. A few years later I had pain and oozing behind my left ear. My surgeon removed a suture then. Now it's been 6 years since &I'm having yellow oozing & redness (no pain) behind that ear. My husband said it almost looks like poison ivy because it's spreading away from my ear. My questions are how do I care for it (hydrogen peroxide,etc) until I can go see my surgeon (I moved) & does this look like an infection? What's the worst case scenario if it's infected? Thank you!
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May 1, 2014
Answer: Yellow oozing after otoplasty may be an infection till proven otherwise.
The changes in the middle third of the antihelix are most probably the result of too extensive excision of cartilage and regrettably can’t be corrected anymore. Fortunately, such changes no longer occur with the minimally invasive stitch method, as there is no working of cartilage with this method.
What you're experiencing is a normal part of otoplasty recovery. Initially, the ears may look too far back, but as they heal and relax they revert to a more natural looking appearance. One week is not enough time to begin thinking about a revision surgery.
This is a common question, and your suspicion is correct-- surgery is the only way to reliably and permanently flatten the ears. That said, surgery is less involved than many would think. Our practice commonly performs it in the office under local anesthesia, and post-op requirements...