Best Ear Doctors in Los Angeles

It is not easy to determine the best doctor to perform cosmetic ear surgery, AKA otoplasty, in order to give you the results you desire. If you are unhappy with the appearance or size of your ears, Cosmetic Town can help you find the right doctor to give you the appearance you want for your ears. Cosmetic ear surgery is popular in Los Angeles, and its surrounding areas, thanks to the large number of skilled and board-certified doctors in the city. The following is our 2018 list of the “Best Cosmetic Ear Surgery Doctors in Los Angeles” as determined by the Cosmetic Town intelligent system:

Cosmetic Ear Surgery Explained

Cosmetic ear surgery improves the size, position or shape of the ears. The procedure can be performed during the first few weeks of life for a baby or when a person reaches the age of 5 or 6 years old (when the ears have reached 80-90\\\% of their adult size).

Cosmetic ear surgery addresses issues with the ears such as:

Defects in the ear structure that are present at the time of birth
Ears that injured or misshapen due to trauma or injury
Overly large or protruding ears

Cosmetic ear surgery produces a natural-looking ear and provides proportion and balance to the face. In addition, the results give patients increased self-confidence when it comes to their appearance.

A Closer Look at Cosmetic Ear Surgery

Cosmetic ear surgery is a relatively straightforward procedure that can be performed as an outpatient procedure. The procedure is mostly performed under local anesthesia which is used to numb the area around the ears to ensure a patient's comfort or it is performed under general anesthesia (in this case the patient will be asleep throughout the procedure). The procedure usually lasts about 2 hours.

The most common method of performing cosmetic ear surgery involves the surgeon making a cut in the back of the ear which is followed by the removal of the skin to get to the ear cartilage. The cartilage is folded to reshape the ear and bring it closer to the head. Sometimes the surgeon will cut the cartilage before folding it while, in other cases, the skin is removed from behind the ear. Stitches are used to close the wound.

Risks of Cosmetic Ear Surgery

There a couple of risks associated with cosmetic ear surgery:

Reactions to medication
Breathing problems
Bleeding, blood clots or infection
Collection of blood (hematoma)
Recurrence of the ear deformity
Keloids and other scars

How to Prepare for Cosmetic Ear Surgery

Prior to cosmetic ear surgery, there are a couple of steps that need to be taken by a potential patient to ensure good results are achieved. A couple of the vital things an individual needs to do before undergoing cosmetic ear surgery are:

Women should tell the surgeon if they are pregnant.
A week before surgery, you may be asked to stop taking blood thinners. These medicines may cause increased bleeding during surgery. Some of these drugs are aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn).
If you are taking warfarin (Coumadin), dabigatran (Pradaxa), apixaban (Eliquis), rivaroxaban (Xarelto) and clopidogrel (Plavix), talk with your surgeon before stopping or changing how you take these drugs.
During the days before your surgery always let your health care provider know if you have a cold, flu, fever, herpes breakout or any other illness in the time leading up to your surgery.
On the day of your surgery, you will likely be asked not to drink or eat anything the night before your surgery. Rinse your mouth with water if it feels dry and be careful not to swallow.

What to Expect post-Cosmetic Ear Surgery

Following successful cosmetic ear surgery, the ears are covered with thick bandages. Patients are allowed to go home once they awake from the anesthesia. Any tenderness and discomfort felt can be controlled with the appropriate medication. The ear bandages are removed after 2 to 4 days. It should be noted that patients are required to put on a head wrap or headband for 2 to 3 weeks to help the area heal.

If patients feel severe ear pain in the days after the procedure, the surgeon who performed the surgery should be called immediately as it might be due to infection of the ear cartilage.

Cosmetic Ear Surgery Recovery

To ensure lasting results the post-op regimen must be followed diligently by patients. Adults are advised to stay home for at least a week after the surgery while children should stay home for at least two weeks.

The head will be bandaged before a patient is sent home and it is of utmost importance that the doctor's instructions on how to handle the bandage are followed to ensure a smooth recovery.

Your surgeon will tell you how long you will need to wear the bandage and how to manage it while you sleep. You will likely have to wear it for at least three days. When you have the bandage removed, your surgeon will provide you with a headband-type dressing which should be worn for up to three weeks to promote proper healing.

All stitches that need to be taken out will be removed about a week after the surgery.

Following recovery, scars are to be expected but they will most likely fade over time.