About Wind-Up Ear

  In traditional Eastern culture, the shape and size of the ears have a very important meaning. In ancient times, it was believed that the shape of a person’s ears could be used to determine his or her future and fortune; this, of course, had superstitious overtones, but it is more or less clear how much importance people attached to the shape and size of their ears. The outer ear plays an important cosmetic balancing role in the symmetry of the facial contour, and apart from the necessary hearing, the aesthetics of the ear is becoming more and more of a concern.  With the continuous development of medical careers, ear reconstruction can no longer be ignored. If the ears are not perfect, plastic surgery can be performed to meet the aesthetic requirements of the ears.  It is a common congenital deformity of the ear. Severe ear deformity is called shell ear and is mostly bilateral, but the left and right side are not always completely symmetrical. It is thought that it may be related to abnormal auricular development, abnormal peri-auricular muscles, prenatal fetal malposition, and poor sleeping posture of the newborn, etc. It is claimed that only 8% of patients have a family history.  Among the various malformations of the ear, the most common congenital malformation is the wind-swept ear, with an incidence of about 5%. Because of the illusion that the ear is too high or too wide, it is easily ridiculed and mocked by others, which often brings unnecessary worries and psychological pressure to patients. Correction of the deformity of the ear is undoubtedly very important for the appearance of the face and the psychological treatment of the patient.  The shape of the ear is determined by the shape of the cartilage scaffold in the ear. There are many methods of otoplasty, the most common method is to make a small incision at the back of the ear to expose the cartilage, make appropriate cuts to the cartilage and bend it backwards, then use sutures to maintain the new shape of the cartilage. For oversized ears or cases where cartilage shaping is difficult some cartilage may have to be removed to make the ear contour more natural. After surgery, you will need to apply antibiotics routinely to prevent infection, follow your doctor’s instructions for care and medication changes, and have your stitches removed for one week. Special attention should be paid to the plasticized ear for one week after the stitches are removed; any activities that may bend the ear should be avoided for several months.  Precautions for ear surgery: 1. Do not take medications containing aspirin for two weeks before surgery, because aspirin makes the function of platelet coagulation lower and bleeds easily after surgery.  2. Patients with high blood pressure and diabetes should inform the doctor of their condition at the initial consultation so that the doctor can confirm the surgical plan.  3. Make sure that you are in good health and free from infectious diseases or other inflammatory diseases before surgery.  4. Do not wear makeup before surgery.  5. Women should avoid menstrual period.  6. If there is coagulation disorder such as decreased platelet function, various types of hemophilia, etc., it is best to avoid surgery, otherwise it will cause intraoperative and postoperative bleeding and the wound will not heal easily.  7. Keep the surgical site dry and clean, i.e. eat spicy and stimulating food, follow medical advice and contact the surgeon at any time in case of any situation.  The clinical encounter of the windy ears may not always be a pattern, and the surgeon must carefully study and design each case according to its characteristics before surgery, and adopt different surgical methods in order to achieve the most satisfactory results.