POSTED UNDER Ear Surgery REVIEWS
Correction of Failed Otoplasty - London, GB
ORIGINAL POST
?After twenty-two years living with an otoplasty...
itsanhJuly 25, 2015
WORTH IT$14,500
After twenty-two years living with an otoplasty which went horribly wrong, I finally found a surgeon who was able to fix it beyond my wildest expectations.
Background:
Both ears were overly corrected (too close to my head) and with completely different shapes.
The right ear looked as if it was folded back with a ruler, in a straight line with no natural curve and the other a cauliflower ear (see photos).
I had a follow-up operation a year later to correct the right ear, the operation made no difference whatsoever.
As the years went by, I was still very unhappy. It affected my self-esteem and confidence. In almost every conversation I had with a new acquaintance, I would notice their gaze eventually drawn towards my oddly shaped ears. It happened very naturally, nobody was intentionally staring to make me feel awkward, people just couldn't help it.
I decided that once I could afford to, I would find a world renown ear surgeon and go for it one last time.
After researching long and hard I came across David Gault, who is a master at what he does, I'm so glad I did.
Verdict:
During my initial consultation, David Gault politely asked for my opinion, he immediately understood my concerns and then gave me his suggestions. He is to the point, friendly and has a great sense of humour.
He agreed on what I wanted and suggested trimming the ear slightly in order to make it rounder and smaller, something I did not even consider (or thought possible).
After the surgery:
A week after the surgery, the bandages were removed and to my delight, even though still swollen, my ears looked normal for the first time in my life!
I cannot thank David Gault enough for his truly amazing and life changing effort.
itsanh's provider
Replies (18)
July 31, 2015
Hi. I have the Same problem you had except mine might be even worse and it's on my right ear. What I would like to ask you is, how much did it cost you and also what procedures did he use? Did he use and skin grafts or rib cartilage grafts to push your ears back out as well as restore the natural curvature of the ears? I really do understand what you had to go through, and I hope this changes your life forever. God Bless you.
July 31, 2015
Thank you very much for your kind comments and blessings. I hope it works out for you too. The cost was $14500.
Both skin grafting and rib cartilage harvesting were required (you seem to have done your research and know your stuff).
I sincerely hope that it works out for you in the future, only those who have to live with understand the negative psychological impact it can have . All I can say is, although it is not cheap, what's the price you put on your self-esteem and confidence? If you have the opportunity to, I would definitely have it done, I do not regret it one bit. And if you get a chance to come to London, then David Gault is the only person I can recommend. I've seen several surgeons mention having worked with him on their websites as part of their credentials. He is acknowledged (even among surgeons) as a leading expert on ear reconstruction.
Both skin grafting and rib cartilage harvesting were required (you seem to have done your research and know your stuff).
I sincerely hope that it works out for you in the future, only those who have to live with understand the negative psychological impact it can have . All I can say is, although it is not cheap, what's the price you put on your self-esteem and confidence? If you have the opportunity to, I would definitely have it done, I do not regret it one bit. And if you get a chance to come to London, then David Gault is the only person I can recommend. I've seen several surgeons mention having worked with him on their websites as part of their credentials. He is acknowledged (even among surgeons) as a leading expert on ear reconstruction.
August 18, 2015
Hı mate, they look awesome from here, I can see How u used to feel n How great now,are there Any scars be seen outside f your ears, anyone realized that u had surgery? How did Gault pull them out? Did He put cartilage or what?
August 21, 2015
i can answer this for you as i had the same operation myself with David gault. There wont be any scars in the front as all the work is done from behind the ear for it to be somewhat hidden, any surgeon who cuts from the front then run a mile.the ears can be brought out with a bit of concha cartilage depending on circumstances but often rib cartilage is used as its stronger to stop the ear scarring back down. again you might need a skin grapth in my case i didnt as i had plenty of skin behind ear. My ears were stuck to my head the roundness had gone and cauliflower, people asked me what i had done to my ears and some people thought i had metal plates in them. i had my brought out from about 10mm to 24mm using rib are healing they settled in at 19mm what is about what was agreed between me and david gault. yes they look much much better people dont notice so much now, they will be never be perfect because of the damage done
They are still very thick but you cant tell that so much by looking at
them.Part of the trick is to use a very light bandage that doesn't put any pressure on the ears bleeding is controlled by suction drains what are change regulary for the first 24hours. if you were to have a tight bandage you will probably be back to square one also pressure can cause tissue loss.
They are still very thick but you cant tell that so much by looking at
them.Part of the trick is to use a very light bandage that doesn't put any pressure on the ears bleeding is controlled by suction drains what are change regulary for the first 24hours. if you were to have a tight bandage you will probably be back to square one also pressure can cause tissue loss.
August 24, 2015
THX again for this detailed answer, av been2 another surgeon Who is told to be able2 do it (bring them out) but found out He had never done Any similar surgery like the one u had be4, as av been once bitten twice shy now, The doctor told me that taking rib cartilage is a very dangerous surgery as they're located too close 2the Lung, He said its 2 risky n offered me 2use artificial cartilage instead, did Mr Gault use your own rib cartilage?if yes, How did The rib cartilage operation go first? Do u still look at your ears in the mirror? Av u been able2 get rid off that Feeling?
August 25, 2015
Thank you gd123 for your great answer and for sharing your experience.
Can I ask how long it took for them to go from 24mm to 19mm?
highfour - as you say; "once bitten twice shy", David Gault is very experienced with the rib cartilage procedure so I would not chance it with anyone who doesn't seem completely confident. My ribs are now fine, there is some bruising still, and a small scar which will get better with time I hope, I can say that with regards to the ribs (and ears) everything went absolutely smoothly. I still look at my ears in the mirror, but now in a positive way! I still can't believe they finally look "normal". They 're still settling down and the swelling is reducing daily.
Can I ask how long it took for them to go from 24mm to 19mm?
highfour - as you say; "once bitten twice shy", David Gault is very experienced with the rib cartilage procedure so I would not chance it with anyone who doesn't seem completely confident. My ribs are now fine, there is some bruising still, and a small scar which will get better with time I hope, I can say that with regards to the ribs (and ears) everything went absolutely smoothly. I still look at my ears in the mirror, but now in a positive way! I still can't believe they finally look "normal". They 're still settling down and the swelling is reducing daily.
August 25, 2015
I Live in turkey so the cost of operation n accommodation make it more diffucult2afford but as u say I dont consider Any other doctors to be able 2perform it properly, How long do u think I Wud av to stay in London till I make sure Im done with it? How often do u see Gault after operation? Sorry for 2many question but I guess u c How hard it May become2cope with it, I had better save money before hım get retired, fingers crossed
August 27, 2015
That's fine, I completely understand you having many questions after going through a failed procedure and wanting to make sure you get it right.
The cost was $14500 and two follow up visits , the first after one week to remove the bandage. Then after one more week to remove the sutures. So in total at least 2 weeks. I would also ask about how long after the surgery would it be safe to fly.
The cost was $14500 and two follow up visits , the first after one week to remove the bandage. Then after one more week to remove the sutures. So in total at least 2 weeks. I would also ask about how long after the surgery would it be safe to fly.
August 27, 2015
it didnt take long maybe three months. i can still feel some reduction in thickness after 18months.
August 27, 2015
i shouldn't talk about price but there is a cheaper alternative, i would go to francoise firmin in Paris shes the best ear surgeon there is and seeing as your travelling anyway. i opted for David Gault because hes good as well and it was more convieneant, as i didn't have to travel to a different country
August 27, 2015
mine was 17500 dollars this was surgeons fees, 2 night hospital fees and anesthetic nurse fees. yes very expensive too much in my opinion even including skill level.
August 27, 2015
Could you post your email i have personal question to ask you about otoplasty revision thanks
November 29, 2015
Hey mate
So happy for you.I have similar problem :( Any chance you can say how long u waited for a visit and then for date of surgery etc?
So happy for you.I have similar problem :( Any chance you can say how long u waited for a visit and then for date of surgery etc?
UPDATED FROM itsanh
8 days post
Before and after
itsanhJuly 25, 2015
Here is a front view of both ears before and after
Replies (2)
December 10, 2017
I have my surgery booked for january and I'm in the same boat.. I'm hoping for the same result as you.. :)
UPDATED FROM itsanh
12 days post
Results after 12 days
itsanhJuly 29, 2015
Here is a picture of my ears after 12 days, I can see even more improvements in the shape as the swelling reduces.
Replies (3)
October 27, 2015
How is the last situation? U got Any pain or other stuff urnt happy with now? Can u share r lately taken pictures pls?
December 29, 2019
I've been reading your post over and over again. I was wondering if you could post an update of your ears today?
Thanks for posting! Your ears look great!
What was the procedure like? Were you under anesthesia? Amazing that you were able to remove the stitches after one week. How would you compare this procedure versus your previous one?
Congrats on your new look!
The procedure went very smoothly, I was placed under general anaesthesia and given the maximum possible care afterwards. The nurses checked on me every hour or so throughout the night. In fact, the whole process was done with the highest standards from the very start. At the booking stage, Mr David Gault's secretaries gave me excellent advice and were very well informed, they also deserve my sincerest gratitude.
Compared to my previous procedure, we are talking about two completely different jobs. Let me explain, the first should have been a fairly standard otoplasty, but unfortunately had a horrible outcome, the fact that both ears looked completely different and deformed (in their own unique way), shows what a poor job was done. To then correct this, required a highly skilled ear surgeon, in fact I was sent to another surgeon after the initial two procedures and was told that it could not be done. Given that both ears were deformed and over corrected, to achieve this result is truly amazing.
Gotcha, makes sense what you said about the two surgeries - sort of like apples and oranges in comparison.
I'm so glad you are happy with your results - keep us posted on your healing!