Earlobe Repair Surgery – Complete Guide and Treatment

Earlobe plastic surgery is one of the easiest and safest plastic surgery procedures one ever has to face. Plastic surgery on the ear tends to be fairly straightforward unless the ear has sustained substantial damage or deformity. Most of the time, earlobe plastic surgery is sought after to deal with tears or splits in the earlobe caused by accidents involving pierced earrings or other Jeweled adornments. An earlobe can suffer a complete tear if for example, a piece of jewelry is suddenly yanked out. Sometimes the hole is simply made larger, and is not a complete tear. This is referred to as a split lobe. Either case is easily repaired by earlobe plastic surgery. It isn't always an injury to the ear or earlobe that requires plastic surgery. One of our more distinguishing features is that of our ears, the shape and size of which can vary greatly from person to person. Some have ears that stick more or less straight out from the head, a situation usually fairly easily cured by plastic surgery. Others have earlobes that are large, and seemingly well out of proportion to the rest of the ear. Earlobe plastic surgery in this case would involve peeling back the skin, removing interior tissue, which is mostly fat, and refastening the skin with tiny sutures. The procedure, called earlobe reduction, is not exactly as simple as it sounds as the plastic surgeon must be careful to "design" the appearance of the finished product both before and during the operation. The Plastic Surgery Procedure In the case of an earlobe slit, where there is not a complete tear, but the piercing site has become enlarged and can no longer correctly hold ear studs, or simply has become unattractive, closure of the slit is something that can be performed in the surgeon’s office. A complete earlobe tear is usually an out-patient procedure as well, and the repair is usually done using a local anesthetic, possibly accompanied by a mild sedative. There are usually several approaches to repairing a tear which the surgeon will review with the patient, the objective being to minimize scarring as much as possible. Earlobe plastic surgery involves no more risk than any other invasive surgery and probably less than most. The earlobe is primarily skin and fatty tissue, and the main risk is one of infection. When the surgery has been completed, and the wound is closed with sutures, the ear is rarely if ever bandaged. It must be kept clean however until healing is complete to avoid infection. Soap and water usually serve the cleansing purpose, and an antibiotic cream will usually be prescribed to be applied to the wound until it has closed and healed. The earlobe will drain for about a week. This is natural, and is not a cause for concern. A few days after draining has ceased, the sutures will be removed. In most cases the scar which remains will be no more than hairline thin, and certainly not noticeable. The earlobe will eventually heal completely. Most plastic surgeons will advise their patient to wait at least 8 weeks before wearing ear jewelry or consider piercing the ear again. The patient may be advised to wait somewhat longer before wearing heavy ear jewelry. Although the ear lobe will return to normal, earlobe tissue is still rather fragile and easily damaged. Summary In summary, earlobe plastic surgery is nothing to be fearful of. It is a fairly straightforward procedure, not particularly risky, does not require hospitalization, and is for the most part painless. The patient should have someone to drive them home, not because of the effects of the operation, but because of the effects of the anesthesia. Post-operative care consists mainly of keeping the ear lobe clean and allowing it to drain until healing is complete. Scarring is generally minimal, and after a couple of months everything should be back to normal.