Advice Following Otoplasty

Post operatively

  1. Your head should be elevated by 2 or 3 pillows to 45 degrees for 3 or 4 days. This will help with swelling and enhance healing.
  2. Take antibiotics and pain killers as prescribed.
  3. A head bandage is usually worn after the surgery until the stitches are removed. You will be informed about the timing for this.
  4. Once the dressing has been discarded, it is wise to wear a protective head-band or bandage when sleeping to avoid the ears being bent forward against the pillow.
  5. The ears are often sore and tender for several weeks and painkilling medication such as Paracetamol or Codeine may be required. Other drugs such as Aspirin or Nurofen can occasionally cause unwanted bleeding following the surgery and should be avoided.
  6. A small amount of blood may ooze post-operatively. This is quite normal. However, in the unlikely event that heavy or persistent bleeding occur, please telephone for advice immediately.
  7. The hair can be washed after the dressing and the stitches have been removed. It is important to keep the grooves behind the ears clean.
  8. Infection is rare, but should this occur it would require treatment with antibiotics and regular dressing changes.
  9. Sometimes the dressing can chafe the ears to produce a break in the skin which can take a while to heal.
  10. The ears are often a little numb after the procedure and this usually takes several weeks to settle.