Earlobe Repair & Reduction

Earlobe repair and reduction are quick procedures with minimal downtime. The use of local anesthesia makes treatment virtually painless. Once the numbing agent wears off, you may experience minor ear swelling and tenderness. However, these side effects are not usually significant enough to prevent you from resuming normal activities within a day or two. Most patients take over-the-counter pain medications for the first couple of days.

Patients can usually perform the procedure on the same day as their consultation. After this, they will need to come into the office for follow-up visits to ensure their healing process is progressing smoothly. Dr. Sitapara typically uses non-dissolvable sutures to minimize scarring and will remove these sutures in one week. Dr. Sitapara can give you a more accurate picture of what to expect after examining your earlobes during your private consultation.

Results from earlobe repair and reduction are typically seen within the first week after the procedure. Minor swelling may initially obscure your outcome, but this will die down within a few days.

Patients can expect their final results approximately six months after surgery once the swelling has reduced and the scars have begun to fade.

Earlobe repair and reduction is often paired with otoplasty, rhinoplasty, or facelift surgery. Many of our Baltimore and Columbia patients can also undergo treatment with dermal fillers alongside their earlobe repair procedure. If you wish to combine cosmetic solutions, speak with Dr. Sitapara during your private consultation.

Dr. Sitapara sees patients from both the East and West coasts—and everywhere in between. He also regularly meets with patients from other states who travel to see him for his stellar surgical reputation and glowing reviews. Out-of-town patients can meet with Dr. Sitapara virtually before undergoing a second in-person consultation once they arrive. The doctor and his team offer a seamless patient experience, thanks to their private surgical suite just minutes from world-class hotels, restaurants, and shopping meccas.

All surgeries, even minor ones, come with a certain degree of risk. Dr. Sitapara does his best to minimize risks by using conservative techniques and a high degree of precision. Risks include:

• Infection
• Bleeding
• Swelling
• Poor scarring
• Asymmetry

Earlobe Repair and Reduction
NOTE: IF YOU ARE UNDERGOING A PROCEDURE UNDER ANESTHESIA (NOT LOCAL ANESTHESIA ALONE), DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING AFTER MIDNIGHT PRIOR TO YOUR PROCEDURE

The following instructions apply to patients who have undergone Ear Lobe Repair/Reduction. Although your surgical procedure may seem minor, the healing process is the same for all surgical skin wounds, minor or major. Since no two patients are ever exactly alike in their surgical needs, type of surgery performed, or rate of healing, we may elect to individualize the following guidelines for each patient. In such instances, we will so instruct you. Otherwise, we urge you to follow the advice below very carefully in order to accelerate your healing and maximize your surgical outcome.

Please take time to follow these instructions:

• You may allow the wounds to get wet in 24 hours. Do not submerge them under water but you can let soapy water run over them in a shower.
• If your wounds get wet, pat them dry or air dry – do not rub. The sutures are very delicate and are easily removed with rubbing.
• Apply Bacitracin or Aquaphor ointment to the wound three times daily.
• You may resume exercise 7 days after your procedure (after sutures are removed) but avoid activities that may cause direct trauma to your ear for 3 weeks (wrestling, boxing, etc.).
• Bloody ooze may be gently cleaned with peroxide/water – always pat dry, do not rub. If you notice more significant bleeding, apply pressure by pinching the earlobe with a clean piece of gauze for 20 minutes. This should stop any bleeding.

Your sutures will be removed in a week. After the stitches are removed, please continue to use caution around the wound, as it is still in the healing phase.

Initially, it is normal for the repair site to look raised. This is due to the special suturing technique used by Dr. Sitapara for optimal healing of this incision. Excess scar tissue formation or keloids do not form for several months.

We include re-piercing at no cost, and this can be performed 2 months after the repair. Please bring gold or other non-reactive metal earrings that are SMALL and can be worn for TWO WEEKS CONSECUTIVELY. Do not wear any clip-on earrings before re-piercing.

Preoperative Instructions
If possible, do not take any Aspirin or NSAID medications (ibuprofen, motrin, advil, etc.) for 14 days prior to your procedure, and then only on the advice of your personal physician. Please let your surgeon know if this is not possible prior to your surgery.
Avoiding alcohol for 7 days prior to surgery can help with the healing process.