Otoplasty - Before and After Care

Assuming the patient has thoroughly researched surgeons and made an informed decision and otoplasty has been deemed the correct approach, the first step in the process is the pre-operation consultation. The doctor will discuss with the patient realistic expectations and feasible options for the procedure. Costs, payment options, insurance coverage as well as surgical benefits, the surgery itself, and the recovery should be discussed at this time.

Weeks prior to the day of the surgery, young children should be prepared regarding their feelings, fears, and expectations. Preparations should be made for missing schools and for missing work; children should be prepared to miss at least a week of school, though adults can often return to work after a few days of routine healing. The patient should designate a caretaker for immediately after the procedure and for at least the first night following. All patients should discontinue medicinal products containing aspirin and cease using cigarettes and tobacco products. Other medications may need to be discontinued, so it is imperative that the doctor be privy to any and every prescription and over the counter medication the patient may be taking.
The day before the surgery, as with any surgery that includes a general anesthesia, the patient will not be allowed to eat or drink after midnight. A patient could also take this time to solidify plans for missing work and school, and for preparing a wardrobe that is conducive to healing. Wardrobe is a crucial detail of preparing for an otoplasty. On the day of the surgery and for weeks during recovery, the patient should wear comfortable clothes that do not require pulling over the head. Such motion can bend or pull at the ears, and children especially should adhere to this rule.

Cutting or coloring of the hair should be done in the days prior, and adults are urged to wash their hair the morning of the surgery; women should arrive with hair pulled back.

After surgery care vastly contributes to the healing and optimal results of cosmetic ear surgery, and even though the patient will be anxious to see results, heavy bandages will need to remain in place for a few days. Lighter bandages will follow these “fluff” bandages, and the patient should expect to wear a headband for several weeks following the permanent removal of bandages. The headband should be worn at all times, especially throughout the night, to ensure that the ears will heal in the desired position.

Clearly, washing the hair will pose an issue as the ears heal, and blow dryers, curling, irons, etc. should be avoided as well as hair products that could seep into incisions and cause infection. Sports and contact sports will need to be avoided until the ears are completely healed. Children can expect to miss recess and other physical education activities. The healing period for after and otoplasty is roughly six weeks.