Otoplasty, also known as cosmetic ear surgery, is a reconstructive rather than cosmetic surgery procedure that corrects the deformities and enhances the external ear’s shape, position, and size. People tend to do an otoplasty when bothered by their ear shape, especially if they have prominent ears or bat ears. Otoplasty can be done at any age after the ears have reached their full size, usually after five. In addition, it is a widespread procedure that improves the patient’s confidence since fixing the disfigured or protruding ears could affect your whole face.
What is the recovery time for an otoplasty?
In most cases, Otoplasty patients need at least 6 weeks to make a full recovery. However, you can observe significant improvements in the appearance of the ears in the first 2 or 3 weeks after surgery.
Immediately after otoplasty, your ears will be covered by a bandage to protect and support. You may feel some discomfort and itching; however, taking pain medication could help you feel better and decrease the pain in the first few days. Swelling and bruises are accepted to appear but do not worry; they will be gone after 2 or 3 weeks, leaving the new appearance you desire to have.
Otoplasty recovery week by week
Otoplasty recovery is different from one person to another; however, it can be very similar to the following:
In the first week after otoplasty: Patients say it is the hardest week; you would experience some pain and swelling in and around your ears. Doctors ask you to wear a compression garment during this time to protect your ears and reduce the swelling and bruises. Prescription medication will help you manage the pain in that time; however, most of the pain and swelling will be gone after three days of surgery.
In the second week after otoplasty: Swelling and pain will continue to reduce. Most patients can return to work or school after 10 days of surgery. However, doctors decide that based on the type of work you do, the level of swelling, and other factors. You still need to wear the compression garment as much as possible since it affects your surgery final results and plays a big part in the appearance you get after otoplasty.
In the third and fourth week after otoplasty: Most of the swelling will be gone by now. You may need to check with your doctor to ensure that everything is ok at this stage. You should know that some patients may take a little longer to heal fully, and your ear’s appearance now is not final. It may take a whole year for your ears to be completely healed and have a stable look.
As you know, results vary based on many factors, such as health, age, the exact details of Otoplasty surgery.
Otoplasty recovery tips
You can prepare very well and get better results after your otoplasty surgery knowing these recovery tips:
- Wash your hair the day before surgery
Otoplasty requires incisions very close to your hairline; you will not be able to wash your hair for many days after your procedure. Therefore, we advise you to wash your hair the day before surgery to keep feeling clean and refreshed in the days after your otoplasty.
- Wear a compression garment as much as possible
In addition to their role in reducing the swelling, compression garments protect your ears from accidental damage such as itching or catching them with a hairbrush. That is why it is essential to wear them as directed.
- Choose your clothes wisely.
We advise you to wear wide-neck tops or button-front shirts since they are least likely to come into contact with your ears.
- Take pain medication
Pain and discomfort after otoplasty surgery can be avoided by taking painkillers medications as directed by your doctor. This is very important since recent studies have shown that being stressed in pain can slow your recovery.
- Avoid smoking
Doctors already advise you to quit smoking for at least six weeks before and after your surgery. This is because smoking can slow down your healing process by increasing risks and complications.
- Sleep with your head elevated
As you know, swelling is a very normal part of any recovery process; however, you can reduce this swelling by sleeping with your head more elevated than normal for about 6 weeks.
Ask your doctor for more advice on what to expect during the otoplasty recovery period, and try to follow his orders to get the best possible results.
How painful is the otoplasty recovery process?
Patients report feeling some pain and discomfort after doing an otoplasty surgery. However, most patients told us that this procedure was much less painful than anticipated. We already know that otoplasty is not a complex procedure since the ears are much easier to adjust than other facial areas.
How to speed up healing after otoplasty?
Many things can be done to speed up your healing process after doing an otoplasty, such as avoiding smoking, eating healthy food, taking multivitamins, keeping your head elevated when sleeping, in addition to avoiding sun exposure in general, and protecting your ears from rubbing or itching by wearing a compression garment after surgery.
References:
https://www.torontofacialplastic.com/blog/otoplasty-dos-donts-ear-surgery-recovery-timeline/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/otoplasty/about/pac-20394822
