What's involved with an earlobe repair?
Over time, wearing heavy earrings can cause ear piercing holes to elongate making it difficult to wear certain jewellery. Sometimes this can result in an elongated large earlobe, a wide donut hole opening with only a small bridge of skin, or a complete split earlobe. Many patients wish to have this corrected to improve the appearance of the ear lobes and allow for earrings to be worn more easily.
Incisions are typically placed on the front and the back of the earlobe to freshen the edges and remove the old hole plus any excess tissue before repairing the split lobe with a single seam. Dr. Sharma will discuss the pros and cons of the procedure and the scar placements with you to determine what is best for your individual needs.
Some patients have had either a surgical scar or traumatic scar from an injury to the skin that has become unsightly, thickened, widened, indented, or contracted. Patients may wish to have their scar revised in an effort to improve the appearance of these scars and make them less conspicuous. It is important to note that there is no way to entirely ‘get rid of a scar’ or have ‘no scar.’ Instead, a less favourable scar is revised in exchange for a new scar that is hopefully an improvement and that can fade and flatten to a fine line scar over time.
Some patients may develop scars that are thick and raised and occasionally itchy in nature. These can be either hypertrophic scars or keloid scars, and often there is a genetic influence that predisposes an individual to developing these types of scars. These can be treated with conservative measures, steroid injections, or scar revisions, or in some rare cases more radical treatments. Dr. Sharma will discuss your options with you and determine if you are a suitable candidate for a scar revision procedure depending on the current appearance of the scar and its location.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What happens on the day of the procedure?
Surgery takes place in our procedure room with you awake using local anesthetic, and often takes between 30-60 minutes. You are comfortable throughout the procedure and do not feel any pain, with this being much preferred by patients compared to simple dental procedures or cleanings. All post-operative instructions will be given to you before going home. You do not have to fast for these procedures and can drive to and from the office for these procedures, much like going in for a haircut.
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What happens after the procedure?
There is minimal downtime with these procedures, and most of the time you can return back to work/school without needing to take time off. You should refrain from strenuous activity/exercise for a few days and all precautions will be discussed with you. The stitches will need to be removed 1 week or so after the procedure. You will be able to shower and wash with soap and water the next day and all instructions will be reviewed with you.
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