Ear Lobe Repair
Stop feeling self-conscious about earlobes damaged through stretching, gauging, earring use, deformity or injury.
Is earlobe repair surgery right for you? Contact NYC cosmetic surgeon Dr. Preminger.
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BEFORE AND AFTER GALLERY
Earlobe Repair in NYC
Ear lobe surgery is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures requested by New Yorkers. A person’s earlobes greatly impact the proportions and aesthetics of the face, as well as being an erogenous zone and a place to hang jewelry.
Earlobe reconstruction surgery can repair:
- Saggy ear lobes from years of wearing heavy earrings
- Unsightly ear lobes from improper piercing technique or infection
- Natural congenital deformities in the shape and size of the earlobe
- Traumatic injury to one or both ear lobes resulting in deformity or scarring
- Enlarged holes from intentionally stretching or gauging the ears for fashion
Both men and women are seeking earlobe repair in growing numbers for a variety of reasons. For some, earlobe reconstruction is sought to improve physical appearance and self-esteem due to genetic deformity, sudden trauma or improper ear piercing. For others, the effects of “teenage rebellion” are corrected to meet with workplace standards and to enhance employability.
Check out earlobe surgery before and after photos to the right to see Dr. Preminger’s great results!
BEFORE AND AFTER GALLERY Quick Facts
Procedure Length
1 hour
Anesthesia
Local, with sedation possible
IN/OUT Patient
Outpatient
RISKS
Scarring, re-tearing of the lobe, blood clots, infection
Side Effects
Temporary pain, redness, swelling, numbness, itching
Recovery
Back at work or school in 2-3 days
Sutures removed in 1-2 weeks
Swelling should resolve in 1-2 weeks
Physical activity in 6 weeks
Resume earring wear in 6 months
DURATION OF RESULTS
Results are typically permanent
Ear Lobe Surgery Preparation
Patients who are interested in earlobe repair will first visit Dr. Preminger’s Manhattan office. After filling out paperwork with details of general medical history and background, patients receive one-on-one consultation time with Dr. Preminger.
This meeting gives patients a chance to further assess Dr. Preminger’s credentials and have any questions about the procedure answered. Dr. Preminger will share photos and stories of realistic results that can be achieved through earlobe reconstruction surgery, as well as discuss the procedure, recovery and any associated risks.
Ear Lobe Repair Risks
The safety profile for this type of surgery is excellent, but ear lobe repair risks may include:
- Scarring is possible with any incision, but risks can be managed with post-operative instructions.
- Notching or uneven contours are possible with untrained or unskilled surgeons.
- Re-tearing of the earlobe if new piercings are placed too soon or directly on the incision line.
- Irritated, sensitive tissue is possible, but generally diminishes over time.
- Sutures are used in this surgery, which may become infected if they are not cared for properly.
Other general risks associated with any type of surgical procedure include: blood clots, pain and wound non-healing.
Earlobe Repair Procedure
The earlobe repair procedure is a fairly simple one, performed in Dr. Preminger’s office under local anesthesia. First, Dr. Preminger removes any overstretched or damaged skin. Next, the lobe is stitched back together with dissolvable stitches to form a natural shape.
Methods vary, but most surgeons use clamps and vertical mattress sutures to minimize the risk of notching. Lastly, the wounds are dressed with antibiotics and sometimes gauze (when extensive repairs have been done) that remain in place for several days to decrease risk of infection.
Earlobe Reduction Surgery
Dr. Preminger is adept at correcting the droopy, saggy appearance of ears that have been intentionally altered and cases where patients feel their lobes are unnaturally long or misshapen. Both earlobe blowout repair and stretched earlobe repair related to gauging and elongation practices are done in much the same way.
Dr. Preminger removes the very bottom portion of the damaged lobe and sutures a wedge of tissue back onto the bottom of the ear. Stretched ear lobe surgery options include pendulous lobes or earlobes attached to the cheek, depending on the look you prefer.
Split Earlobe Repair
Slightly ripped earlobe repair may involve just a few stitches and can often be re-pierced (if desired) on the same day as surgery. By contrast, fully torn earlobe repair will require removing the damaged ear piercing tract, suturing inner and outer layers of skin and fat tissue together, and waiting for the wound to heal before future piercings are considered.
Recovery from earlobe tear repair can be very fast or take several months for full healing, depending on extent of damage. As part of an earlobe hole repair procedure, Dr. Preminger may place a “temporary spacer” stitch to reserve a place for future earrings, which can be worn after about six weeks.
Ear Lobe Surgery Recovery
“Ear lobe surgery recovery is one of the easiest in the cosmetic surgery world,” explains Dr. Preminger. The ear lobes may feel a bit warm, but the discomfort is only mild and nearly everyone heals quickly without need for over-the-counter pain medication.
You can really go about your daily business within a day or so of your surgery. Most patients will experience a little bit of itchiness as the sutures heal. Stitches should dissolve on their own within a week or so.
Earlobe Repair Cost
Earlobe repair is considered “cosmetic” and is not covered by medical insurance. However, the surgery may be more affordable than one presumes, especially considering the affordable payment plans put together by Dr. Preminger’s front office staff.
Factors that affect pricing include: extent of the damage, facility fee, surgeon fee, and anesthesia fee. A precise estimate will be given to all patients before any work is done so there are no surprises.
Earlobe Repair Results
Final results could take up to one year to be seen if there was really extensive damage. However, 96% of patients on the Real Self website give earlobe repair surgery a “Worth It” rating. Whether they are “not 15 anymore — 30 with 2 kids,” a “reformed hipster,” the victim of “incorrect piercing as a child” or a “business student in dire need of earlobe repair for future career,” nearly all of the 75 patients who had the procedure done within the last two years expressed satisfaction with their natural-looking results.
For more information on ear lobe repair options, including earlobe reduction surgery, please contact the Park Avenue Manhattan office of Dr. B. Aviva Preminger to schedule a private one-on-one consultation.
Ear lobe surgery resources:
- Washington Post – More proof youth is fleeting: Some with ear gauges seek fix for stretched earlobes http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/20/more-proof-youth-is-fleeting-some-with-ear-gauges-seek-fix-for-stretched-earlobes/
- Real Self – Ear Lobe Surgery http://www.realself.com/Ear-lobe-surgery/reviews
- ABC News, 20 MINUTE PROCEDURE CAN REPAIR RIPPED EARLOBES,
http://abc13.com/health/20-minute-procedure-can-repair-ripped-earlobes/319149/ - American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Ear Reshaping, http://www.surgery.org/consumers/ask-a-surgeon/size-fat-earlobes-reduced
