Do You Need Ear Lobe Repair Surgery?

It may come as something of surprise that earlobe repair surgery has become one of the most requested procedures. Then again, it may not. Especially if you’re someone who’s spent years of adorning those lobes with heavy jewelry.

You may well be a candidate for ear lobe repair.

Even if you’ve removed your gauges or stopped wearing heavy earrings, you’ve probably noticed the soft tissue has shrunken a bit but that there is still a significant hole. That’s when surgery comes into play.

Causes

Of course, heavy earrings and gauges causing the lobe to become stretched over time are the biggest culprits. But even regular earrings can get snagged in clothing, yanked out by a child, or pulled accidentally in some other way. This results in a torn ear lobe known as a Pac-Man deformity.

Whether the hole is over stretched or non-existent from a tear, wearing earrings can become problematic or impossible. Fortunately, ear lobe repair surgery is a reconstructive plastic surgery that was developed to restore the appearance of earlobes.

The Procedure

As plastic surgery procedures go, earlobe repair surgery is one of the simplest procedures. Depending on the number of piercings to repair and the extent of trauma to the lobe, the whole procedure takes between 15 and 30 minutes.

First, the plastic surgeon will inject the stretched or torn earlobe with a local anesthetic to numb the area. From there, the surgeon determines which specific technique will best serve to repair and reconstruct the earlobe. This will depend on the extent and complexity of the damage.

In the majority of cases, scar tissue is removed from the split or stretched piercing so that the repaired earlobe can heal smoothly. Once that tissue is extricated, the surgeon utilizes fine stitches to close the tear or the hole.

Recovery from Ear Lobe Repair Surgery

Recovery is fairly straightforward. On the day of the procedure, the patient is sent home with a small piece of gauze to cover the affected area. After that first day, the gauze can be removed but the area must be kept clean with daily antibiotic ointment.

Sutures are removed after about a week. In that time, the surgeon will recommend not sleeping on the ears or placing any kind of pressure on the area. In addition, the ear must not be submerged in water during that time. That means no baths or swimming –  though showering is permitted 24 hours after the procedure.

Beyond that, patients can expect to otherwise get back to their regular work and exercise routines the very next day. And should the patient wish to have his or her ears re-pierced, the surgeon can do this in just 4-6 weeks after an earlobe repair procedure.

It’s a chance to start anew! (And maybe skip the gauges this time…)

Interested in Finding out More?

If you’re curious about ear lobe repair surgery and whether it might be right for you, contact us today for a free consultation.

Our surgeons will sit down with you to discuss the best next steps.