Hi,
This my first time on this forum,
about 6 months ago I had an otoplasty and one of the ears is came out a deformed (telephone ear) I am very unhappy with this and its something that effects me a lot... example I can't cut my hair, when taking photos I always look the other way I went to see plastic surgeon who specialises in ear reconstruction and he told me that he could help me by doing a conchal cartilage graft and V-Y plasty, which he told me consists of cutting out a bit tissue (size of a small coin) and unwiding the fold in the ear.
do you think this is the right technique to use for my condition? (the middle part of the ear is 5 mm closer to the head then the top and bottom of the ear and the cartilage appears to be sharper)
what are the possible risks in this kind of surgery? (can it become worse?)
is this a simple or complicated surgery?
whats the usual outcome of this surgery?
I am very scared\hesitant about this but Its really effecting the way I live... it would mean a lot if you can shed some light ....
This should not be construed as medical advice. I am a retired Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.
Welcome to our forum. Ear deformity can cause a great deal of emotional stress. Here is a discussion about
Otoplasty Forum - Stress Living with Projecting Ears Video about Emotions. Stress can be amplified when one deformity is traded for another with surgery.
There are many forms that the complication
Telephone Ear Deformity can take as well as different degrees. Options for correction depend on the original problem, what was done, healing and so many different factors. Even the revision has its own additional risks beyond the
Otoplasty Surgery Complications I explained to each of my patients. I would help my patients explore issues like blood supply compromise from prior surgery, nerves difficult to protect from being stuck in scar, forces that corrected the deformity in the first place, and the fickle nature of cartilage and other elements of
Otoplasty Anatomy.
This is surgical sculpture and
Revision Otoplasty is quite a bit more difficult than primary surgery. Yes, an ear can be made to look worse with further surgery, especially if the wrong thing is done for the wrong problem. Timing of surgery is something else. I never offered revision surgery so soon as tissues rarely evolved sufficiently for patients I had seen after surgery done by other surgeons. I never created that complication on one of my own patients. However, each problem is unique and requires its own solutions.
Posting
Standard Otoplasty Pictures can document the specific nature of the problem. The ear is best analyzed by more than a single image, that is why I evolved a more complete set, so the ear can be seen more completely.
Ear Measurements at top, middle, and bottom can quantize differences in projection of the ear. However, that does not replace the clinical exam of how the tissue feels, scars, sensation, and other examples.
Putting up the before surgery photos can show the original problem and then summarize what was done surgically. In my analysis of ear problems I tried to understand what caused the complication. Comparing the before surgery documentation, what was done, and what I saw helped in my planning when I was in practice.
Is the surgery proposed by the original surgeon? Someone who specializes in reconstruction should be able to demonstrate their skills with before and after photographs. Have you reviewed such examples by the surgeon suggesting the specific surgery?
It is the responsibility of the operating doctor to explain the risks, benefits and alternate methods of care to each patient. The surgeon should be able to make a patient comfortable with that education. What have your learned so far? Why was that not enough bringing you here to learn more?
Hope this helps,
Michael Bermant, MD
Retired Plastic Surgeon
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