We are seeing an increasing number of patients with gauge earlobe piercing holes who desire to have the problem repaired. As has been noted in prior blog entries on gauge earlobe repair, this type of plastic surgery of the ear requires relatively specific training and experience in cosmetic ear surgery. Although there may be a number of board certified plastic surgeons in your particular area, not all of the surgeons have the required expertise in this niche surgical procedure to deliver consistently successful results. Because my practice focuses on facial plastic surgery and cosmetic enhancement of the face and neck, I happen to perform this type of ear plastic surgery on a more regular basis than the average surgeon out there in San Diego, CA. The patient featured in today’s blog entry is another great case example of gauge earlobe repair that shows what I would consider a medium sized hole looks like before and after repair. This very attractive young female patient decided to stop wearing her gauge earrings and sought out opinions to repair the holes that resulted from years of stretching the earlobe. The only viable option in this type of scenario is surgical closure of the gauge earlobe hole. She decided to proceed with the surgery, which was performed under local anesthesia in the office setting. In order to repair the gauge earlobe defect, it was necessary to borrow tissue from an adjacent area in the ear in order to close the hole. Put in simple terms, the soft tissue just behind the hole was cut in the shape of a peninsula, thus allowing it to move forward while filling in the gap of the hole. Very carefully the different layers of the skin were then sutured, or stitched, together to create a scar that was minimally visible to the naked eye. As you can appreciate in the before and after gauge earlobe repair photos below, she now has a relatively normal earlobe with very little remaining signs of having had a prior stretched earlobe piercing. Yes, her earlobe is smaller now, but, unfortunately, there are very few other options when it comes to repairing gauge earlobe holes. In this particular scenario, you can only work with the limited amount of soft tissue that is remaining in the surrounding area of the earlobe in order to close the defect. The most important point to emphasize is that her earlobes now look much more normal and do not draw unwanted attention following the cosmetic surgical procedure. If you have gauged earlobe holes and are considering surgical repair to close them, contact our San Diego facial plastic surgery office today for a complimentary consultation.
