Earlobe Repair Surgery

Having your ears pierced is one of the most common beauty enhancement in the world. Both men and women are at risk for stretching, tearing, and scarring. Heavy earrings and other jewelry attached at the ear can cause the earlobes to be damaged. With severe damage or tearing of the earlobe, people who desire to continue wearing earrings will not be able to with out repair.

Most earlobes can be correctively repaired using delicate surgical repair techniques. Earlobe repair surgery is able to be done in the office as an out patient procedure. A surgeon will use local anesthesia to numb the earlobe before the procedure is started. 

In order to repair the earlobe, the parts of the tear that have begun to heal will have to be removed. Your surgeon will want “fresh” skin to work with in order to avoid scar tissue building up after the repair. Your doctor will sew up the torn lobe with either a straight line or a zigzag sewing technique. The technique that will be be used will determined prior to the surgical repair. The specific location of the tear and the anatomy of the earlobe will help to make that decision. Fine suture threads will be used to minimize scaring and to support the repair as it heals. 

Once you leave the doctor’s office, a prescription for an antibiotic ointment will be given to you. The ointment will be applied at home for a few days to ensure the area stays clean and free from infection. Most earlobe repair surgeries result in a very visible scar. It is recommended that patients wait a minimum of 8 weeks, but the earlobe can be pierced again. Patients are given caution to avoid heavy and large ear jewelry to avoid re-injury to the earlobe. 

Posted on behalf of Benjamin Stong, MD, Kalos Facial Plastic Surgery, LLC 

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