Otoplasty

For whom ?

If your unglued ears bother you, if this problem can at times spoil your life, seeking help from cosmetic surgery can then turn out to be a very good solution to settle once for all the problem of unglued ears.

In general it is practiced during childhood and adolescence, the correction of unglued ears is also frequently demanded by adults.

Aims

Otoplasty is an operation which consists in re-giving a shape and a normal angle to the unglued ears, very apparent in a front view.

Before the operation

Your medical check-ups

Between one week and one month prior to your operation you must make an appointment with a medical tests laboratory in order to undergo a full pre-surgical check-up. A specialized ophthalmological examination will be required as a complement so as to identify a possible ocular pathology. The tests results must be sent to us (by fax, or by e-mail) so that they can be seen and read by our anesthetist doctor. Depending on the test results, other examinations may be required. If you are unable to carry out your examinations before your departure to Tunisia, there is always a possibility to do that on the spot, the day before the operation. It must be known that if there is a contra-indication to your operation, the anesthetist doctor has the right to put off or cancel the operation. No medication containing aspirin should be taken at least 10 days before the operation. You must mention any type of medication you may have taken. It is essential that you refrain from eating, drinking, and smoking for 8 hours before the operation.

Type of anesthesia

The operation can be carried out under partial anesthesia supplemented by a sedative input with adults.

Duration of the hospital stay

1 night

Duration of your total stay in Tunisia

5 nights / 6 days.

The operation

The operation consists in bringing the unglued pavilion to a normal position; this can be achieved by rendering fragile the cartilages responsible for the unglued state of the ears. Sometimes, it is necessary to proceed with a correction of the lobe that is excessively thrust forward.

The incision is hidden behind the ear very close to the grove and therefore not visible. Points that are buried serve to hold the plicature.

Duration of the operation

The operation lasts 45 minutes.

After the operation

After the operation, medical observation takes place first in a waking room, then in your room. A bandage that is slightly compressive will be applied and then will be removed the day following the operation. Antibiotics are prescribed in a systematic fashion during 24 hours to avoid any infection. The operation causes little pain, analgesics are prescribed to combat the pain.

Surgical aftereffects

There are ecchymoses (blue in color) and an edema (swelling) during the first days.

A bandage per day is applied at the incision level behind the ear during 8 days.

During the same period a strip of contention will be worn day and night.

The ears will remain sensitive during approximately 15 days.

In general, there won’t be any thread ablation because stitches are made using absorbable threads. It is advisable not to be exposed to cold to heat or water one month following the operation, as this may cause several pains. We can wear glasses a few weeks after the event. But we keep wearing the strap during sleep time for a month. During such a period, intense sports activities are not recommended and sports necessitating body contact are to be avoided for at least 3 months.

Result

While wearing a hair strap, the ears will be a little too re-glued. They will be slightly re-unglued within the 2 months following the surgical operation, taking thus a more natural aspect. The final result will be noticeable after about 3 to 6 months; it is then definitive. Unglued ear surgery will in no way harm your hearing capacity.

Potential side effects or complications

Like any surgical operation, some rare complications are likely to occur such as: infection, hematoma, or anesthesia-related complication.

Work interruption

There is no need for interrupting the work: the recovery stay spent in Tunisia following the operation is very beneficial and enables most of our patients to resume their professional activities as soon as they return home.

Fees

The fees for an otoplasty are 1500 euros.