What can I expect from an Otoplasty?

Ear surgery will not alter hearing ability. A successful Otoplasty results in the ears being in proportion to the size and shape of the face and head.

Besides protruding ears, other undesirable characteristics can be helped with this surgery. These include a “lop ear,” when the tip seems to fold down and forward, a “cupped ear,” which is a very small ear, and “shell ear,” when the curve in the outer rim, as well as the natural folds and creases, are missing. Surgery can also improve large or stretched earlobes, or lobes with large creases and wrinkles. Dr. Orloff can even build new ears for those who were born without them or who lost them through injury.

How is Otoplasty performed?

Ear surgery usually takes about two to three hours. The procedure is generally performed on an out-patient basis under general anesthesia. The technique utilized for the surgery will depend on the problem being corrected.

A more common technique used for this surgery is to make a small incision in the back of the ear to expose the ear cartilage. This incision is made in the natural fold where the ear is joined to the head. Dr. Orloff will sculpt the cartilage and bend it back toward the head. Non-removable stitches may be used to help maintain the new shape. If needed, Dr. Orloff will remove a cartilage to provide a more natural-looking fold when the surgery is complete.

Another technique involves a similar incision in the back of the ear. Skin is removed and stitches are used to fold the cartilage back on itself to reshape the ear without removing cartilage.

In most cases, ear surgery will leave a faint scar in the back of the ear that will fade with time. Even if only one ear appears to protrude, surgery is usually performed on both ears for a better balance.

What is the recovery like?

Soft dressings will be applied to the ears and will remain for a few days. Any mild discomfort is easily controlled with medications. If you are accustomed to sleeping on your side, your sleep patterns may be disrupted for a week or so because you cannot put any pressure on the ear areas.

That was the past and getting ready is a whole new ball game. Simply put, you can look better than you ever imagined and enjoy that indescribable sense of confidence and self esteem that always comes with looking great. It’s interesting that others really do notice one’s sense of certainty and optimism, and the self-assured, composed, poise that accompanies just plain old looking your best. Now you can have it for that upcoming event or just because it’s the right thing for you or someone you care about!

We’re talking light touch here. The kind of things that cause others to wonder how it is you seem to look younger and healthier. The fine lines and wrinkles, the loss of fullness in certain facial features, uneven, rough skin texture or irregularities in skin coloration can now be “spruced up” rather than concealed or tolerated. Some of these solutions like Botox or injectable fillers such as Restylane, Cosmoplast, Hylaform and the new and very popular Juvederm, allow you to walk out of the office “done, finished, ready to go”. Others like lasers for hair removal, skin tightening or removing blemishes and skin irregularities along with microdermabrasion and peels may take days or up to a week to reveal all the benefits. When administered by a skilled technician, Botox can smooth wrinkles, lift eyebrows, work wonders for palm and underarm sweating and rejuvinate one’s appearance. The above mentioned fillers are excellent to fill in the lips so lipstick goes on smooth over skin without creases. Hair removed from the face, ears or other areas of the body when done by the latest laser technology has brought discomfort to a minimum.

Each person is unique and the combination of these and other “light touch” remedies for appearance are the new way to get ready. Beyond wardrobe and cosmetics and the latest coiffure is the dressing up of you. The event is special, you are special, you should look and feel special. At our office we are geared up to provide these finishing touches even on a last minute basis with a staff of doctors and technicians second to none. Care is given to ensure all treatments are as painless as possible and since we are a medical office, Dr. Orloff is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for follow up treatment or to address concerns and questions.

Often used to communicate that some technology, device or technique is the latest or the most sophisticated it merely represents a state that is often fleeting as forces of development create newer and better offerings.

At our office, and in particular in our private facility, The Buena Vista Surgical Center, we view state-of-the-art as more of a guiding philosophy than a condition to be in. We know things are constantly changing and improving. Important advancements frequently occur in the areas of patient safety, procedures and techniques which become less and less invasive, tools and equipment at the disposal of doctors and their assistants and even doctor-patient expectations can reach new high points. Here, at our office, we welcome advancements and seek to incorporate them into what we offer. We are constantly training, investigating then adding new technology, and know that just around the corner there is a new “ne plus ultra” to some aspect of what we offer. Implementing it on arrival will allow us to do an even better job with less patient downtime, greater safety, improved efficiency and expense, and goals accomplished with near perfect results.

We think this state-of-the-art attitude we all share in our office helps us maintain a facility and a level of service that hovers at or close to that “highest point” found in the meaning of ne plus ultra!

Buena Vista Surgery Center staff
members LuAnn and Marcella.

This blog will be the more interactive companion to Dr. Orloff’s official web site. Here you will be able to read through articles and notes by the team and you will have the option to leave comments and thus start a dialog.

We want to start out this blog with two of the most often asked question when plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery is involved.

How do cosmetic surgery procedures differ from surgeries for medical reasons?
The one main difference is the fact that cosmetic surgery is elective. Once the patient has made the decision to improve him or herself, it causes a positive mental attitude. With this the compliance with all doctor’s recommendations improves, and speed of recovery as well as a successful outcome are statistically greater when the patient is highly motivated.

How long will I need to recover after my surgery?
Recovery times vary depending on several factors. Different procedures will require different recovery times. Then there is the age and health of the patient to be considered as well as the skill of the doctor. An experienced physician can usually provide a fairly accurate estimate based on the above-mentioned criteria during the initial consultation. Recovery time has been dramatically reduced by use of the latest techniques and state-of-the-art equipment.