Does your child no longer bear the teasing of his protruding ears? The only way to correct this often hereditary defect: is otoplasty, an operation performed by a plastic surgeon.
Otoplasty, from 6 years old
Side anatomy, what is it? Two faults can be combined or isolated. Either the folds which give its shape to the ear are not sufficiently marked; or the conch, the hollow part of the pavilion, is too developed and therefore projects it forward. “Be careful, the plastic surgeon does not pull on the skin to bring the ear closer to the skull”, insists Dr. Jean-Marc Torossian, a plastic surgeon. In reality, it only works on the cartilage by reshaping it.
Otoplasty is one of the rare cosmetic procedures performed most often on children, from 6 years old. Why wait until this age, when it is noticeable from birth? “Because we must allow time for these organs to finish their growth so as not to disrupt their development”, explains the surgeon. And above all, we must wait for the children themselves to make the request. Even if it is. you who are at the origin of the consultation, it is important to question the principal concerned! If your child is satisfied with his ears and is not embarrassed by the remarks of his classmates, it is not necessary to This can be done later … if he feels the need (he may prefer to grow his hair out to cover his ears).
There is no age for otoplasty. However, it is not recommended in adolescence. Since puberty hormone surges can swell and redden the scars, surgeons most often refuse to operate on teens between the ages of 11 and 17.
Less than two hours of intervention
The incision is made at the level of the natural fold behind the ear so that the scar is very barely visible. The skin is then peeled off to access the parts of the cartilage that the plastic artist wishes to re-sculpt. On an ear that has the two defects associated, the surgeon removes some of the tissue behind the shell and a piece of the cartilage from it. He then recreates the fold, as well as harmonious and rounded natural reliefs, and then bring the ear closer to the skull.
“Without ever breaking the cartilage structure, the plastic surgeon rasped it in certain places in order to create lines of weakness. Weakened on one of its faces, the cartilage folds back on itself on the other side thanks to its elasticity” explains the surgeon. Thin, deep sutures can help keep the ear closer to the skull and maintain the relief of the folds.
The average duration of the intervention: is one hour to one and a half hours, depending on the faults to be corrected. If adults are operated on under local anesthesia, in children, doctors prefer to operate under general anesthesia. With stress, it’s hard for kids to stay still for that long! Some pain occurs during the first twenty-four hours. Above all, the ear transiently loses its sensitivity, because the surgeon must have touched a few nerve fibers to access the cartilage. The sensations of hot and cold, in particular, do not return until after several months.
The operation, covered by Social Security, can be done on an outpatient basis: the young patient enters in the morning and leaves the same evening, wearing a bandage. It is simply a protection to be kept for three to seven days. Then you have to wear a headband (tennis type) overnight for two to three weeks, to prevent the flag from turning over during sleep.