Fast facts

Ear surgery

What it is: Ear surgery (or otoplasty) is a common plastic surgery procedure, usually done to position the ears closer to the head or reduce their size.  An incision is made behind the ear, cartilage is folded or shaped, and stitches are used to maintain the new form.  

What it addresses:  An undesirable appearance relating to the ears, including:

- Overly large ears
- Ears that protrude too far
- Unnatural ear appearance
- Ear asymmetry

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Question

Will I be awake during ear surgery?

What kind of anesthesia is used for an otoplasty (ear surgery)? Will I be awake and aware of what's going on?

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Asked by: Anonymous

Answers (2)

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1
December 27, 2008

Otoplasty; Ear Surgery and Anesthesia Type: Local vs. Conscious Sedation vs. General Anesthesia\

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD
Raffy Karamanoukian, MD
Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon

There are a variety of ear surgery types depending on the severity of the deformity. Some procedures are as simple as 5 or 10 minutes while others may take hours.  The decision to perform the surgery under various types of anesthesia, including local anesthesia, conscious sedation, or general anesthesia, depends on surgeon preference, the comorbidities of the patient (associated diseases), length of surgery, and complexity of the surgery. 

Routinely, it is best to undergo the surgery under adequate anesthesia in order to allow precise manipulation and correction of the ear deformity.

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2
November 17, 2008

Ear surgery can be done with you awake or asleep

David Shafer, MD
David Shafer, MD

For otoplasty, the surgery can be done with you awake or asleep.  Talk to your surgeon so they discuss the options wtih you.  If they do offer you the awake options, they will likely give you some type of sedation to help you relax.  If you are very worried about being aware and think that you can not lay still for an hour or so, then you should choose to have anesthesia for the surgery.  Good luck with your surgery.

Dr. David Shafer

 

Web reference: http://www.doctorshafer.com
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