Removing The Dumbo Ears

Usually, people seeking cosmetic improvements on their body and on their face would do changes in their eyebrows, eyelids, their cheeks, nose, buttocks, breast, chin, and abdomen. These are the common areas that people are willing to undergo cosmetic surgeries in in order to have for themselves. However, aside from these popular areas, there is another part of the body, especially in the head, where people are looking to make changes in, or improvement for some. This part of the head is the ear. Ears, although not as strikingly noticeable as the nose and the eyelids, are also included in the many parts of the body that can be improved with cosmetic surgery. The procedure that focuses on ears and ear appearances is known as otoplasty.

What is Otoplasty?
Otoplasty is a cosmetic procedure in which surgeons perform surgeries to improve the appearance of their patient's ears. This procedure may take several forms. One popular practice called ear pinning involves bringing the ear closer to the head to eliminate the appearance of having big ears. Others involve reducing the size of very big ears, or reshaping various bends in the cartilage. However, before it was used for cosmetic purposes, otoplasty was initially applied as a reconstructive procedure dealing mainly with deformities, or abscent-microtic ears.

According to cosmetic surgery rancho cucamonga surgeons, otoplasty was first first developed by Sushruta, an Indian physician often regarded as the "father of surgery". He and his later students and disciples used otoplasty to reconstruct ears that were amputated as a punishment for crimes. The techniques of otoplasty he developed form the basis of surgical procedures that are practiced to this day.

How is Otoplasty Performed?
Anesthetic procedures used for the operation are dependent on the problem to be treated and the ability of the patient to cooperate. Anesthetics used may involve local anesthesia alone, local anesthesia with sedation, and/or general anesthesia (which is usually the case for children). According to cosmetic surgery rancho cucamonga surgeons, most otoplasty surgeries are performed as outpatient surgery, although some require a hospital stay. The procedure can last from an hour and a half to five hours depending on the problem.

For many ear operations, one or more incisions give access to the structures to be sculpted. The main, and often only incision, is behind the ear. Other possible incisions depend on what needs to be done. Through the incision behind the ear, the concha bowl can be moved closer to the head using a small tunnel created along the front of a poorly folded antihelix to weaken this cartilage. Sutures are then placed to reshape the anti-helix fold and to balance the ear lobe with the rest of the ear.

For Deformities
Addressing Microtia (small ear deformity) or Anotia (missing ear deformity) involve augmentation or adding elements to replace deformed or missing structures. According to cosmetic surgery rancho cucamonga surgeons, cartilage from the ear or rib are the most common candidates for these more extensive reconstructions. Other ear shapes may be changed through moving, adding, and weakening ear structures.