Earlobe remodeling: L-plasty and Y-plasty

Earlobes are an integral part of facial aesthetics.

They draw attention to themselves when a woman puts on earrings or lifts her hair, so too large lobes, asymmetrical or damaged by jewelry quite often become a reason for unnecessary discomfort.

In this article on estet-portal.com we will review anatomical features of the ear that you need to know for safe earlobe correction, as well as the basic techniques for effective plastic surgery xxxx>of this area, which will allow you to correct defects in the earlobe of various origins.

• Important features of the anatomy of the earlobe
• Lobe changes requiring surgical correction
• Lobe remodeling techniques Important features of the anatomy of the earlobe The earlobe has a pronounced blood supply needed to maintain the temperature of the ear.
The external carotid artery

gives rise to three branches that supply blood to the ear. These are the occipital artery, the posterior and anterior auricular branches of the superficial temporal artery.

The veins run along with each artery.

Knowledge of the blood supply helps the practitioner to ensure the continuation of the flap, preserving the blood supply when cutting the earlobe.

 The ear is provided with

four sensory nerves:

great auricular nerve (1)

which supplies the lower two-thirds of the anterior and posterior outer ear (earlobes);

Auricular-temporal nerve (4), which supplies the anterior upper third of the ear;

• small occipital nerve (2), which supplies the posterior surface of the upper third of the outer ear;
• an ear branch of the vagus nerve (3) that supplies the floor of the external auditory meatus and the concha.
• Knowing the innervation of the ear is an integral part of choosing the right tactics for earlobe remodeling.

Blood supply of the ear / Innervation of the outer

th earEarlobe correction with dermal fillers

Lobe changes requiring surgical correction

wearing earrings is known to cause ear injuries and some of these include:

splitting earlobe

;

enlarged piercing hole ears;

• keloid scarring.
• Split earlobe is usually caused by wearing large and heavy earrings suspended from a thin ring that gradually cut through the earlobe. If the patient goes to bed without removing heavy earrings, this can also lead to splitting of the earlobe.
• It is also common for injuries to occur during combing, when the earring gets stuck in the teeth of the comb. The number of young patients wearing
magnification tunnels

in their earlobes gradually increases over the years.

The size of these earring enlargement tools can range from 1 mm to over

e 2 cm.

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Earlobe remodeling techniques When it comes to selecting the right technique, each case should be evaluated on an individual basis to decide which approach can give the best result in a particular case.

In general,

earlobe restoration techniques

fall into two categories: using a

straight line flap connection, or broken line.

Straight line correction is simple, but the end result may be aesthetically unacceptable as the scar shrinks and a notch appears at the free border of the earlobe.

A straight line can be avoided by using a discontinuous correction technique such as L-plasty. For incomplete repair of a split earlobe

,

L-plasty

is more recommended than cutting the skin around the edge of the split and suturing the defect as this can lead to elongation of the earlobe, which is an unacceptable shape for some patients.

For L-plasty, it is important that the lines of excision are drawn at the highest point on either side of the split before the edges begin to curve gently.

Before and after correction of an incomplete earlobe cleft with L-plasty

L-Plasty Technique for Incomplete Repair of a Split Earlobe 

Before and after 1.5 cm earlobe hole repair with Y-plasty

Y-Plasty Technique for Restoring the Hole of the Earlobe

, using scissors or a scalpel.

It is important to ensure that the back of the earlobe has been trimmed to the same shape as the front. The flap is then carefully repositioned and non-absorbable sutures

are placed using the vertical mattress suture technique.

Thus, there are many ways to reconstruct the auricle and many factors influencing the choice of the right technique for each individual case. Reconstruction of a split earlobe with the L-plasty technique, as well as earlobe reduction and repair of a large piercing hole with the Y-plasty technique, can provide excellent results

with minimal risk of complications.

Which ear shape do you like best: modern possibilities of otoplasty