Suture removed 11 years after ear pinning.

Question

My ears protruded, so my parents had them fixed when I was 7. For the past few years, I've had an infection every now and then behind my ear due to one stitch. I am unsure whether this was a subcutaneous stitch that poked through my skin, or a dissolvable stitch that didn't dissolve. I had the stitch removed, and my ear now slightly protrudes. Is this normal? I have read that the cartilage should retain its shape even if a permanent stitch is removed, so why is my ear protruding?

Adam Goodwin, MBBS, FRCS(Plast) · Answer

non dissolving sutures are often used in otoplasty.It is not a great surprise therefore to see the stitch come out a few years later. In terms of the prominence, I don't believe the stitch was holding anything 7 years after surgery and is therefore very unlikely to be the cause of any new protrusion. As to what is the cause, I can't tell you but be assured, it is very difficult to see ear asymmetry unless you look straight ahead and few people look at you directly from the front, only you in the mirror.Hope that helps. Adam Goodwin

Suture removed 11 years after ear pinning.

Answers (1)