Face

Ear pinning, otherwise known as pinnaplasty or otoplasty, is a surgical procedure which alters the prominence of your ears.

Many people feel their ears are too prominent, as they appear to stick out too much. Sometimes one ear may even be more prominent than the other. This can often cause people to feel self-conscious about their appearance, especially when hair is unable to cover the ears. Fortunately, ear pinning is one solution.

Who is a candidate for ear pinning?

Those who undertake ear pinning are people who are looking to alter and improve the appearance and prominence of their ears.

To be an appropriate candidate for ear pinning, you will need to:

• Be physically and mentally healthy
• Be over 18 years old
• Have realistic expectations about what the procedure can achieve
• Understand any risks and side effects associated with the procedure

While this is a surgery that is appropriate for children to undertake, Centre for Surgery currently only offers it to patients 18 years and older.

What happens during the procedure?

Ear pinning is performed under a local anaesthetic, meaning you will be awake during the procedure but be unable to feel any pain or discomfort. However, if you do not wish to be awake for the procedure, it can be performed under a general anaesthetic.

The procedure involves the surgeon making an incision along the back of the ear. This incision is made in line with the natural folds, in order to ensure scarring is minimal and not noticeable. Skin is then lifted, which exposes the cartilage beneath. This is what is causing the ears to protrude. This excess cartilage is then removed. The ear is then pulled back into its new position, which does not protrude and is not as prominent. The incision is shut with sutures. You will also have a dressing wrapped around your head to help support the ear.

What will the recovery period be like?

You will be given a garment to wear to help support the sutures and keep your ears in the new position. This will have to be worn during the day, as well as when you sleep, for about five to seven days. You will need to avoid getting the garment wet, as this may result in infection, as well as other medical problems. You will be able to resume your normal hair washing habits once the bandages have been removed.

You will also need to avoid sleeping on your ears. You will need to ensure you sleep on your back.

You may experience some pain and discomfort after surgery. Your surgeon will be able to give you pain medication to help alleviate symptoms.

You will notice bruising, redness and swelling for a few weeks. This may take up to six weeks to completely go away.

Interested in ear pinning? This is a procedure Centre for Surgery currently offers. Contact us now to find out more about the procedure or to schedule a consultation with a surgeon. 

At Centre for Surgery, one of our most asked about procedures is forehead osteoma removal. But what exactly is it, and what does surgery involve?

What is forehead osteoma removal?

An osteoma is a benign growing lesion which is located on the forehead but can also be found on the neck. The lump consists of bone which forms beneath the skin and can appear as a singular lump or multiple lumps. They can be apparent from birth, or appear as we age. The osteomas are often slow growing, however, they can be unsightly and cause self-esteem or self-image problems. Currently, there is no known cause for forehead osteomas. Sometimes they may occur as a result of a head injury; however, the cause of osteomas apparent from birth is unknown.

While forehead osteomas are benign and do not cause any further health problems, many people will opt to have them surgically removed.

Am I a good candidate for forehead osteoma removal?

Prior to undergoing forehead osteoma removal, it will need to be confirmed that the growth is actually an osteoma. Forehead osteomas are commonly mistaken for lipomas. However, there is a crucial difference between osteomas and lipomas. While osteomas are formed of bone, a lipoma is formed of fatty tissue. A lipoma will feel soft and be able to move when touched, while an osteoma will be hard to touch and will not move.

To be considered for forehead osteoma removal, you will need to be:

• 18 years or older
• Physically and mentally healthy
• Have a healthy BMI
• Have realistic expectations about what surgery can achieve.

How is a forehead osteoma removed?

There are numerous options available for surgical removal of a forehead osteoma. These include:

• Direct incision method: this involves the surgeon making an incision directly over the osteoma. The bone is removed using a small bone chisel. The osteoma is then separated at the base and smoothed, leaving a flat forehead surface.
• Minimal access method: this is often preferred for those who do not want an incision made directly over the osteoma, and for those where the bone which is not as hard. In this method, the incision is made within the hairline so it is not visible. The osteoma is scrapped off and the raised area is flattened.

Prior to surgery, you will have an in-depth consultation with your surgeon, who will be able to determine which is the more suitable and preferred method for you.

What happens after the operation?

Forehead osteoma removal is considered a minimally invasive procedure. Majority of people are able to return to work the following day.

It is normal to experience some swelling around the osteoma removal area, which can be treated with an ice pack application. You may also experience some mild pain and discomfort. Your surgeon will be able to give you medication to help alleviate any symptoms.

Are you interested in forehead osteoma removal? Centre for Surgery currently offers this procedure. Contact us today to find out more or to book a consultation. 

Do you have excess fat or tissue in your lower eyelid? Feel like your eyes look baggy and your face looks tired or older? The solution for you may be a lower blepharoplasty.

What is a lower blepharoplasty?

A lower blepharoplasty – otherwise known as lower eyelid surgery – involves removing or repositioning any excess skin and tissue in the lower eyelid. This will make you look more awake, younger and refreshed, while still looking completely natural. This can be performed on its own, or in conjunction with an upper blepharoplasty.

A lower blepharoplasty will be performed using Centre for Surgery’s ClearSleep™ anaesthetic, so you will not be awake during the procedure.

The surgeon will make an incision on the lower eyelid, which will expose the excess fat. Skin and muscle layers are then lifted, and any excess skin is removed. The incision is then stitched shut.

What is the recovery period like?

After the procedure, you will have stitches and sutures, which will be removed between 5-7 days later. You can wear makeup again once the stitches have been removed, however, it is advised that you should take care when removing the makeup in order to avoid any damage to the incision line.

You will need to take time a minimum of one week off work to recover, however, you may find you require more time. During this period, you will not be able to partake in any strenuous physical activity, which also includes swimming.

After surgery, you will experience some bruising, swelling and redness. This will start to reduce after a few weeks, however, this varies and it may take longer than this. The incision line will look red directly after the procedure, however, this will fade in size and colour with time.

To help reduce side effects, you can:

• Sleep in an elevated position: for the first few days after surgery, you should use multiple pillows to keep your head upright. Avoid sleeping on your face and on your sides, make sure to sleep on your back.
• Use cold packs: cold packs, or even frozen bags of peas wrapped in a tea towel, are an effective way to reduce swelling.
• Use eyedrops: keep your eyes clean by using eyedrops.
• Wear sunglasses: this will help to protect your eyes from the sun and wind.

To help reduce any pain and discomfort you experience during recovery, you can take pain medication when appropriate.

Are there any side effects or risks?

Side effects

After a lower blepharoplasty, you will experience some swelling, bruising and redness on and around the operated area. You may also experience puffy and watery eyes. These are all normal side effects and will recede in a few weeks. You can apply cold packs to help reduce the swelling and bruising.

Risks

As this is a medical procedure, it does have some potential, but rare, risks. Lower blepharoplasty risks include:

• Blurred vision
• Excess fluid in tissue around the eye
• Asymmetry in the eyes
• Haematoma – a pool of blood which collects under the skin. This will reduce on its own after a few weeks
• Noticeable scarring

Centre for Surgery currently offers lower blepharoplasty, as well as upper blepharoplasty. Contact us to book a consultation or to get more information.

Centre for Surgery is a recognised leader in the latest necklift techniques. A necklift is also known as a cervicoplasty or platysmaplasty. One of the definitive features of the ageing process is the increasing looseness of skin in the neck. While it is an unfortunate reality that with age comes loose and sagging skin in this area, there is a surgical solution called a necklift (cervicoplasty/platsymaplasty) that can reverse the ageing effects by pulling the skin tightly together and creating a youthful appearance and a slim neck contour.

For women who feel concerned about looking older because of loose skin around the neck, a necklift at Centre for Surgery is a very effective surgical solution.  A necklift is also a minimally invasive technique that can often be performed with local anaesthesia and IV sedation. Occasionally, it may not only be older women but simply women with naturally weak neck muscles who wish to have this surgery in order to improve the contour of their neck. The necklift surgeon usually places incisions behind the ears or under the chin, giving access to remove excess tissue without causing scarring. It is vitally important to that to create the correct angle of pull to tighten the muscles, the incision is placed behind the ear. Many surgeons make the mistake of trying to take shortcuts and place incisions only in front of the ear.

At Centre for Surgery, the necklift procedure is also often performed in combination with brow lift, cheek augmentation, and facelifts in order to create a comprehensive transformation of the face for improved facial aesthetics. While necklifts are very effective at removing sagging, excess skin, they are not an appropriate solution for removing large amounts of fat around the neck and chin. If you would like to remove fat rather than skin, neck liposuction in this area would be a more effective solution. Centre for Surgery employs the revolutionary Lipomatic technique for performing neck liposuction. See the video below to see a neck liposuction procedure in action. Neck liposuction is often combined with a traditional necklift for even more dramatic results.

Who is a good candidate for a necklift?

An ideal candidate for necklift can be both men and women over the age of 18 but is most common among people between the ages of 30-70. You must have a good health overall and must have good skin elasticity on the jowls, neck and face. A good bone structure can also contribute to a better result so it is preferred but not required.

You may be refused by our surgeons if you are a heavy smoker and you do not wish to quit a few weeks prior to the surgery as advised. And most importantly you must have realistic expectations of what you will be able to achieve after a necklift surgery.

What can you expect from a necklift?

A necklift can effectively get rid of fat and tighten loose skin that accumulates on the neck with age, as well as help achieve a defined jawline. Although the procedure does not improve the quality of the skin, nevertheless, the patient will still be able to achieve a youthful appearance overall along with an impression of weight-loss. The procedure also addresses various other problem areas such as Turkey neck and retrognathia.

At Centre for Surgery, necklifts are simple and safe procedures to perform. Incisions will be made under the chin or behind the ears or in both areas. These incisions give the surgeon the access which is required to remove excess tissue and skin without causing scarring in visible places. The remaining skin is then fixed together using absorbable sutures, and the whole procedure should take around 2-3 hours to complete. Patients will be able to go home 1 hour after the procedure is completed.

What is the recovery period like?

The first 24 hours following your surgery, we recommend you to have a family member or friend stay with you as it will be difficult for you to move around. You will need to rest for the first few days and then you may go back to your normal routine. However, strenuous activity should be avoided for a few weeks to allow your body to heal. Expect some bruising and swelling for the first few days following the surgery and it is absolutely normal. The surgeon may prescribe pain medications to help you with any discomfort.

The recovery period will be longer if necklift is combined with other procedures such as neck liposuction or facelift.

Following the necklift procedure, the surgeon will make incisions behind your ears or under your chin so that they are not visible. You will have scars, but they will be hidden in discreet places so that they are hardly noticeable to the public eye.

Should I get a necklift or neck liposuction?

A necklift is a more appropriate solution for patients who are concerned about the ageing effect of loose and sagging skin on the neck. It is preferred for older patients with small amounts of fat in the neck region.

Neck liposuction is a better solution for patients who wish to remove excess fat around the neck and chin and do not have excess loose skin – it generally is better suited to younger patients with good skin elasticity.

However, both necklift and neck liposuction come as a complementary package if desired by the patient to achieve the best results, keeping in mind the recovery period will be longer compared to having only one procedure.

Interested in a neck lift or neck liposuction? Centre for Surgery offers both procedures. Contact us today to find out more.