Ear lobe reduction
Earlobe reduction is a simple procedure which reduces the size of the earlobes if these are out of proportion to the rest of the ear and/or the face.
The Procedure
Earlobe reduction is a simple procedure which reduces the size of the earlobes if these are out of proportion to the rest of the ear and/or the face.
It is possible to perform this procedure under local anaesthetic as a day case procedure.
It is possible to also perform this procedure in patients who have had their ears pierced.
The surgery involves excising the redundant part of the earlobe at the most inferior (bottom) part of the earlobe. The incision is bevelled so that a greater amount of tissue is taken from the back (posterior) surface of the ear such that the final scar lies in the posterior (back) surface of the ear.
Sutures are employed using both an absorbing dissolving layer deep to the skin and sutures on the surface, which are required to be removed at approximately ten days.
It is then necessary to tape the ears for a period of approximately six weeks.
Complications and Risks
All Procedures have potential complications and risks. These can be divided into general complications and those specific to each procedure. The latter are listed in the FAQs below.
General complications include:
- Wound complications - bleeding, bruising, collections under the skin of blood (haematoma), pus (abscess), serous fluid (seroma), infection, wound breakdown, suture extrusion, sensory loss;
- Aesthetic complications - poor scars, stretched scars, raised scars (keloid or hypertrophic), contour irregularities, need for revisional procedure;
- Anaesthetic complications
