Ear Lobe Repair

A split earlobe or widened ear piercing is a condition commonly encountered in women due to the continuous…

Use of heavy earrings or a sudden trauma/pull or aesthetic wide piercing done in some cultures. The practice of ear piercing by females as well as males has increased and in turn, resulted in more requests for earlobe repair surgeries.

There are many options for surgical corrections of a split earlobe. The options may or may not involve suturing. In most cases, the edges of a split earlobe need to be freshened or made raw so that they are able to stick to each other. Sutures are applied both at the inner and outer edges of the freshened split earlobe. This healing takes about a week and sutures are removed after a week. A small linear scar forms at the site of repair. Certain bigger defects need a specialized technique called ‘w-plasty’ to prevent the notching of the earlobe.

The procedure is carried out with full asepsis under local anaesthesia. This can be done by a dermatosurgeon or a plastic surgeon. A fresh piercing can be made at the time of initial surgery at an area separate from the scar lining or it may be made after the healing has completed. Sutureless earlobe repair is done with the use of specialized sterile surgical tapes and special equipment is suitable for smaller defects.

These are daytime surgeries and take about half an hour for completion. There is no need for rest post the procedure and the patient can immediately resume daily routine activities.