Earlobe Repair

Though large hoop or otherwise stylized earrings may be popular, the weight and stress they cause your earlobes may result in stretched or even torn lobes. For individuals who have experienced this issue in the Mid-Cities area, plastic surgeon Dr. James Ward can correct the damage through earlobe repair surgery.

When Is Earlobe Repair the Right Choice?

The stress of heavy or large earrings can result in many types of damage to the earlobes, either over time or in a single accident. In Arlington, Dr. Ward often sees patients in his fully staffed operating room who have experienced:

• Torn earlobe
• Elongated earlobe
• Lacerated earlobe
• Disfigured earlobe

In order to undergo earlobe repair, you should be a healthy nonsmoker and have realistic expectations for the surgery and result. Generally speaking, earlobe repair performed by Dr. Ward is nearly painless and also a short procedure.

How Surgery Fixes a Torn Earlobe

For your earlobe repair surgery, Dr. Ward or a board certified anesthesiologist will administer a local anesthetic for the operation, which will take less than an hour. As part of this proven repair procedure, Dr. Ward will remove any excess skin around the tear, leaving a clean, aesthetic edge. He will then close the split with sutures, creating a more beautiful earlobe. He will also cover the incisions with surgical dressing to protect them from infection and to help them heal.

Post-Operative Steps: What to Expect

Following your earlobe repair surgery, you may experience some swelling and discomfort at the incision sites, but this is generally mild. After about two weeks, you will return to Dr. Ward's office to have the sutures removed, but you may remove the dressing from the sutures after a week or so. Though it may increase the risk for recurrence of injury, you may later have your earlobes re-pierced, but Dr. Ward suggests waiting at least three months so the earlobes will fully heal.

As a possible side effect of earlobe repair, you may experience a small, depressed scar, which can be corrected with scar revision.

To learn more about undergoing earlobe repair in Arlington at the USMD Hospital under the care of plastic surgeon Dr. James Ward, we encourage you to set up a consultation by calling his office at (817) 861-0505.