Ear Lobe Repair

Split earlobe injuries are common. Even more common are the wide apertures which result from wearing heavy earrings for many years or due to accidental stretching of ear-rings. As a result, the ornaments end up dangling instead of lying side by side with the ear lobe skin.
Split earlobes and wide openings can be repaired with a short office procedure. The site is treated with local anaesthetic making the procedure painless. The edges of the opening are removed and are then approximated using fine sutures. We modify the technique which enables the local tissue to form a narrowed aperture at the same sitting. This obviates the need for a subsequent piercing of the earlobe.
It takes approximately 30 minutes to perform the repair on each side. Patients can return home soon after the procedure. Sutures are removed at 10 days. Light earrings can be worn at the end of 4-6 weeks.

Advantages of Pardue flap technique:

1. There is no need for a subsequent piercing.
2. The original site of the aperture is retained.
3. It is possible to start wearing earrings by the end of 4-6 weeks.
The procedure is safe and does not need any complicated post-operative care. We advise our patients to wear light earrings for a year after the procedure.

Recovery :

Individuals who come for earlobe repair should have an understanding of the reasons for the deformity. Heavy earrings and multiple trivial trauma lead to a lengthened aperture. It is prudent to avoid heavy earrings after a repair. The repair has an approximate strength of ten percent of the intact neighboring skin. This increases to fifty at three months and seventy at one year. This is independent of the technique and is related to our wound healing and scar strength. And because of this, we advise our patients to avoid heavy earrings for one year following a repair. This helps contribute to the longevity of a good result. 

In case of any doubts, we would be glad to hear from you, contact us.