'Telephone Effect' After Otoplasty, Will It Resolve Itself? (photo)

Question

Hello. I had my otoplasty done 15 days ago. I took some pictures after five days and some more pictures just today. As you can see, my ears have a bit of 'telephone' effect, and the right ear is curved, mostly at the top of it. Both are swollen but the right one is more than the other; You tell me please. I went to my surgeon a week post op, but since I was wearing a pretty tight head band both ears were closer to the head and less curved, so he said they looked fine. Tips please. Thank you.

Stephen Bresnick, MD · Answer

Thank you for this interesting otoplasty question.

	 

	The telephone deformity is caused by an overly tight setback of the central third of the ear, such that the upper ear and lower ear stick out more than the central portion.  It is commonly seen soon after otoplasty, so it is important to stay calm and let the ear heal and relax.  

	 

	If your doctor simply pinned the central third back, this tightness will relax and some relapse will occur, helping the ear to look better.   If cartilage was removed from the central third, some relapse will still occur, just less.  

	 

	In the unlikely event that the ear shape does not improve over 6 months, revision can be performed, releasing the central third setback a bit.   The upper third and lower third regions can also be setback a bit more to give an even look.

	 

	Hope this helps!

	 

	Dr. Bresnick

Eric M. Joseph, MD · Answer

I read your concerns and reviewed your photos which are limited:

	You appear to have a nice result after surgery as compared to your pre-op photos. Your ears are closer to your head, and you do not appear to have a 'telephone effect'.

	I hope this reassurance is helpful for you.

	Dr. Joseph

Philip Young, MD · Answer

I see what you are talking about. But the telephone effect is small. You are the most important person in this whole thing so what you feel is the most important. 15 days is early and I would wait on doing thing surgically. I would keep wearing a head dressing to protect the ears at night for the first 2 months after the procedure. If this stays the same, you may need to release the middle part or pin back the top part more to get the result you are wanting. This will be up to your desires though and will need detailed consultation to achieve the right results for You.

'Telephone Effect' After Otoplasty, Will It Resolve Itself? (photo)

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'Telephone Effect' After Otoplasty, Will It Resolve Itself? (photo)

Answers (3)

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