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About Alan M. Engler, MD, FACS
Expertise
Dr. Engler has answered over 2100 plastic surgery questions for Allexperts. His expertise is in cosmetic plastic surgery including breast surgery (breast enlargement with implants, breast reduction, breast lifts), liposuction, eyelid surgery, tummy tucks, facelifts etc.
Dr. Engler has been listed as one New York`s Top Doctors, and as "One of the World's Most Famous Aesthetic Surgeons" (Aesthetic Surgery, TASCHEN Books, Angelika Taschen, Editor). He is the author of 4 books, including "BodySculpture" (a best-selling plastic surgery book on breast surgery, liposuction and tummy tucks), "EyeScapes" (Plastic Surgery of the Eyelids), "Restylane," and "The Slim Book of Liposuction."
Dr. Engler has two US Patents for surgical instruments that he's designed, and has appeared on numerous television shows, including The Tyra Banks Show, The Ricki Lake Show (four times), and the Dr. Keith Ablow Show. Videos of his appearances are available on YouTube (SEARCH FOR "DR. ENGLER"). His website is www.bodysculpture.com.
Experience
Dr. Alan Engler is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York and the author of BodySculpture - Plastic Surgery of the Body for Men and Women (ISBN 0966382749) one of the top-selling plastic surgery books on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.
Organizations belong to
ASAPS (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery); ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons); ACS (American College of Surgeons); Clinical Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York
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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Surgery > Plastic Surgery > Otoplasty
Expert: Alan M. Engler, MD, FACS
Date: 5/13/2008
Subject: Otoplasty
Question
QUESTION: Hi Dr. Engler,
I've had otoplasty in late Feb this yearusing this method (from my PS) -
"his can be done either by taking cartilage out from the cup (concha) of the ear, or by anchoring the ear back to the deep tissues behind the ear with sutures. Removing conchal cartilage can deform the ear and is less predictable than the suture technique. I use two stout sutures between the cartilage and the deep tissue (mastoid fascia) and so there is little chance of them dislodging. For fine control of the position of the rim of the ear, placing additional sutures only where they are needed in the cartilage behind the ear gives a better and more customized control than does cutting or weakening the cartilage in my experience, which can produce abnormally shaped and unnatural contours or can over-correct or under-correct a spot here or there. The suture techniques are the Mustarde technique and the Furnas technique. "
My question is.. when I sleep, what if my ears get bent forward and get cupped? Will the stitches still hold and will my aesthetic outcome be compromised?
Thanks!
ANSWER: Hi Justin,
There's more about plastic surgery at my site, www.bodysculpture.com.
This sounds like an appropriate approach to an otoplasty. In general, enough sutures - and strong enough sutures - are placed so that if the ears are bent slightly, there won't be a problem. It is, of course, possible to rip the sutures if you pull hard enough early enough in the recovery; over time, scar tissue forms to help hold the sutures.
And because your ears will, after the surgery, be pulled closer to your head, they are less likely to be bent forward and cupped in the first place, so you should be okay from that standpoint.
I hope that this helps, and good luck,
Dr. E
www.bodysculpture.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks, another quick question - Since I've had my surgery in late Feb. Would now be considered as still "early in the recovery"?
Answer
Hi
Three months is generally what I would call the early recovery period. But it can take up to two years or longer for all of the scar tissue to form that will form, so I would still try to be careful for at least another three months or so.
Be sure to ask your PS these questions, obviously...
Dr. E
www.bodysculpture.com
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