Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Center of Houston, Texas

Dr. Fortes is skilled in the best techniques for repairing split ear lobes, reducing the signs of aging on the ears and correcting the shape of the ear.

Split earlobes usually occur as the result of the weight of heavy earrings on pierced ears or may be caused by trauma, such as an earring being pulled from the ear. Dr. Fortes can usually repair the earlobe in the office in about one hour using local anesthetic to reduce any discomfort. The split is stitched together with special sutures to minimize scarring. The stitches are removed in about four to five days, and ears may be pierced again in about three weeks.

A procedure called otoplasty is used to correct the shape of the ear, during which the shell shape of the ear and the fold can be sculpted or reshaped to create a more natural appearance.

Otoplasty is an outpatient procedure performed on both children and adults (a child's ears are almost fully grown by the time he or she is five years old). Local or general anesthesia is administered during the one to three hour surgery and stitches can be removed in one week. Postoperative bandages are applied to the head following surgery. Children recover in about one week, and adults usually return to work in about five days.

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