Prominent Ear Correction
Q. Is prominent ear surgery correction successful?
Prominent ear surgery correction is extremely successful with a vast majority of patients being very happy with the results.
Mr Fogarty has substantial experience in prominent ear correction surgery and has reported his results in a recent awarding winning research paper at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) annual meeting in San Diego, 2020.
Mr Fogarty's NHS practice includes the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Belfast, where the majority of his paediatric interest is in otoplasty.
Q. How is prominent ear surgery carried out?
Local anaesthesia ie lignocaine, and thus it is a ‘walk-in walk-out' procedure.
Who carries out the surgery?
Mr Fogarty.
Where is the surgery carried out?
Belfast
What techniques are used?
Mr Fogarty has expertise in a range of techniques so that he can tailor the appropriate technique to an individual patient so that the best aesthetic outcome is achieved.
For many patients his modified anterior scoring procedure that featured in the 2020 award-winning paper in the American Society Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), San Diego is used given natural results with minimal risk of complications and minimal risk of recurrence.
How long does the surgery take?
The procedure takes approximately 60 minutes to carry out, with patients describing it as a relaxing atmosphere.
What are the risks of surgery?
The risks of surgery are very small with the patient satisfaction being extremely high. No procedure is without risk however surgeon experience is one of the most important factors in minimising the risks of any procedure..
Recurrence (< 5%).
The risk of recurrence is extremely small and this is related to the elasticity of the underlying cartilage. In prominent ears the cartilage is manipulated/moulded but the inherent elasticity means that one can get a recurrence of the prominence. In the unlikely event of this occurring then further surgery may be required to push the ears further back.
Asymmetries
All patients have asymmetric ears including the normal population and thus a slight degree of asymmetry is inevitable and indeed normal. In normal daily life only one ear is usually viewed at a time unless one is facing an individual head on. If any symmetry were outside of the bounds of normality this would be likely due to recurrence of any prominence and if this were significant then further surgery would be required to correct any recurrent prominence of the ears.
Bleeding (less than 1%)
The risk of bleeding is extremely small and can occur as the anaesthetic solutions wear off and increased blood supply returns to the ear. In the unlikely event of any bleeding occurring then a return to the operating theatre would be required to staunch any bleeding or a head dressing may be required for pressure purposes. Usually the cosmetic outcome is not adversely affected by such bleeding and having Mr Fogarty on hand to address any bleeding issues mitigates any potential problems due to any delay in addressing bleeding issues.
Infection (less than 1%)
With any surgical procedure there is a risk of infection. While complete measures are taken to minimise the risk of infection unfortunately the risk of infection is not zero. In the unlikely event of infection occurring early review with Mr Fogarty will again mitigate any significant complications that could occur as a result of infection.
Pain
Usually the procedure itself is carried out under local anaesthesia and this is relatively painless. Once the local anaesthesia wears off, after a number of hours, mild discomfort may be discerned but this is readily treatable with simple painkillers such as Paracetamol or ibuprofen. If the ears are tender in the first week then this may give rise to some discomfort when sleeping and thus a head bandage should be used in this situation. It is extremely rare that anybody would ever have ongoing chronic pain issues. i.e. 1 in 1000.
Scarring
An incision and subsequent scar is made behind the ear. The scar that results is thus not visible in a public situation. All scars by their very nature are unpredictable in their outcome but the vast majority will form healed indistinct scars that would not be visible to others and in the very rare situation (less than 1 in 300) a lumpy scar can form which is known as a keloid scar. In the event of developing a keloid scar further treatment in the form of outpatient injections or surgery could be required.
What is the post-operative routine after surgery?
Head bandage?
A head bandage is required for the first 3 to 5 days after surgery. When a head bandage is required the patient may thus need a period of time away from work or school to avoid any social embarrassment.
After removal of the daytime head bandage (ie in 3-5 days) it is advisable to wear a headband at night for 3 to 4 weeks, both for comfort and to minimise inadvertent bending forward of the ears. Such night-time headbands can be readily acquired online.
Pain Relief
Normally simple analgesia is required i.e. either Paracetamol and/or Brufen tablets. Analgesia is usually required for a number of days at most but in general there is very little pain issues of significance after prominent ear surgery. Some tenderness may be felt while sleeping and if this is an issue a head bandage with padding is usually sufficient to minimise any discomfort. One would normally expect to have very minimal pain in the first few days.
Washing/showering
One has to wait until the head bandage is removed after surgery before shampooing. For the paediatric patient, it is often advisable that a parent washes the child's hair while the child can hold on to their ears to avoid inadvertent knocking of the ears during shampooing.
Resumption of full activities
Most adults will return to work when the head bandage is removed (3-5 days) to save any social embarrassment, although there may be a slight degree of bruising which is of a limited nature. Full exercise activity i.e. jogging is not recommended for the first week
Contact sports (eg rugby) should be avoided for the first 6 weeks, to avoid knocking / pulling of the ears .
Some of Mr Fogarty's procedures include:
| Summary | |
| Anaesthesia required. | Local anaesthetic in vast majority of cases. Occasionally a general anaesthetic (GA) is needed, eg in the young child. |
| Type of procedures offered. | ALL types of otoplasty procedure with the procedure tailored to a patient's anatomy for the best aesthetic outcome. Mr Fogarty's personal technique has been documented as part of an award winning paper in the ASPS conference in San Diego, 2020. |
| Duration of surgery. | 45 minutes. |
| Place of procedure. |
Belfast |
| Head bandaging required? | approx 3 days (dependent on patient) |
| Recovery period. | Return to work: dependent on social engagements but less than 3 days usually. Simple painkillers for 48 to 72 hrs. Return to full activities 1 week. No contact sports for 4 weeks. |
Q. Is prominent ear surgery correction successful?
Prominent ear surgery correction is extremely successful with a vast majority of patients being very happy with the results.
Mr Fogarty has substantial experience in prominent ear correction surgery and has reported his results in a recent awarding winning research paper at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) annual meeting in San Diego, 2020.
Mr Fogarty's NHS practice includes the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Belfast, where the majority of his paediatric interest is in otoplasty.
Q. How is prominent ear surgery carried out?
Local anaesthesia ie lignocaine, and thus it is a ‘walk-in walk-out' procedure.
Who carries out the surgery?
Mr Fogarty.
Where is the surgery carried out?
Belfast
What techniques are used?
Mr Fogarty has expertise in a range of techniques so that he can tailor the appropriate technique to an individual patient so that the best aesthetic outcome is achieved.
For many patients his modified anterior scoring procedure that featured in the 2020 award-winning paper in the American Society Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), San Diego is used given natural results with minimal risk of complications and minimal risk of recurrence.
How long does the surgery take?
The procedure takes approximately 60 minutes to carry out, with patients describing it as a relaxing atmosphere.
What are the risks of surgery?
The risks of surgery are very small with the patient satisfaction being extremely high. No procedure is without risk however surgeon experience is one of the most important factors in minimising the risks of any procedure..
Recurrence (< 5%).
The risk of recurrence is extremely small and this is related to the elasticity of the underlying cartilage. In prominent ears the cartilage is manipulated/moulded but the inherent elasticity means that one can get a recurrence of the prominence. In the unlikely event of this occurring then further surgery may be required to push the ears further back.
Asymmetries
All patients have asymmetric ears including the normal population and thus a slight degree of asymmetry is inevitable and indeed normal. In normal daily life only one ear is usually viewed at a time unless one is facing an individual head on. If any symmetry were outside of the bounds of normality this would be likely due to recurrence of any prominence and if this were significant then further surgery would be required to correct any recurrent prominence of the ears.
Bleeding (less than 1%)
The risk of bleeding is extremely small and can occur as the anaesthetic solutions wear off and increased blood supply returns to the ear. In the unlikely event of any bleeding occurring then a return to the operating theatre would be required to staunch any bleeding or a head dressing may be required for pressure purposes. Usually the cosmetic outcome is not adversely affected by such bleeding and having Mr Fogarty on hand to address any bleeding issues mitigates any potential problems due to any delay in addressing bleeding issues.
Infection (less than 1%)
With any surgical procedure there is a risk of infection. While complete measures are taken to minimise the risk of infection unfortunately the risk of infection is not zero. In the unlikely event of infection occurring early review with Mr Fogarty will again mitigate any significant complications that could occur as a result of infection.
Pain
Usually the procedure itself is carried out under local anaesthesia and this is relatively painless. Once the local anaesthesia wears off, after a number of hours, mild discomfort may be discerned but this is readily treatable with simple painkillers such as Paracetamol or ibuprofen. If the ears are tender in the first week then this may give rise to some discomfort when sleeping and thus a head bandage should be used in this situation. It is extremely rare that anybody would ever have ongoing chronic pain issues. i.e. 1 in 1000.
Scarring
An incision and subsequent scar is made behind the ear. The scar that results is thus not visible in a public situation. All scars by their very nature are unpredictable in their outcome but the vast majority will form healed indistinct scars that would not be visible to others and in the very rare situation (less than 1 in 300) a lumpy scar can form which is known as a keloid scar. In the event of developing a keloid scar further treatment in the form of outpatient injections or surgery could be required.
What is the post-operative routine after surgery?
Head bandage?
A head bandage is required for the first 3 to 5 days after surgery. When a head bandage is required the patient may thus need a period of time away from work or school to avoid any social embarrassment.
After removal of the daytime head bandage (ie in 3-5 days) it is advisable to wear a headband at night for 3 to 4 weeks, both for comfort and to minimise inadvertent bending forward of the ears. Such night-time headbands can be readily acquired online.
Pain Relief
Normally simple analgesia is required i.e. either Paracetamol and/or Brufen tablets. Analgesia is usually required for a number of days at most but in general there is very little pain issues of significance after prominent ear surgery. Some tenderness may be felt while sleeping and if this is an issue a head bandage with padding is usually sufficient to minimise any discomfort. One would normally expect to have very minimal pain in the first few days.
Washing/showering
One has to wait until the head bandage is removed after surgery before shampooing. For the paediatric patient, it is often advisable that a parent washes the child's hair while the child can hold on to their ears to avoid inadvertent knocking of the ears during shampooing.
Resumption of full activities
Most adults will return to work when the head bandage is removed (3-5 days) to save any social embarrassment, although there may be a slight degree of bruising which is of a limited nature. Full exercise activity i.e. jogging is not recommended for the first week
Contact sports (eg rugby) should be avoided for the first 6 weeks, to avoid knocking / pulling of the ears .
Some of Mr Fogarty's procedures include:
Anti Wrinkle Treatments More details
Dermal Fillers Eg Hyaluronic acid(HA), Hydroxyapatite
Breast Augmentation - More details
Breast Surgery
Breast Reduction & Mastopexy - More details
Tummy tuck
Abdominoplasty & Body Contouring - More details
Liposuction More details
Rhinoplasty
Skin lesion
Face Lift More details
Blepharoplasty - More details
Medico Legal Reports - More details
Prominent Ear Correction - Ear-otoplasty More details
For Appointments or Enquiries Call :
Phone : +44 7885 568410 (Mon -Thurs 9am - 5pm)
Email : info@fogartyplasticsurgery.com
Home
Mr Fogarty's Services
About Mr Fogarty
Patient Testimonials
Contact us
2023 © Fogartyplasticsurgery.com All rights reserved.