Ear surgery as an adult: local anaesthetic, ninety minutes

What local anaesthesia actually feels like

The only sharp part is the injection itself, and it lasts about thirty seconds per ear. After that the ear is numb from behind the earlobe up to the top rim, and what reaches you is pressure, tugging and the sound of instruments close to your head. You can talk to the surgeon the whole way through. Most adults find the anticipation harder than the procedure, which is why we describe each step before it happens rather than after.

The advantage nobody expects: you can sit up

Being awake lets us check the result mid-operation. Halfway through we sit you up, hand you a mirror and look at both ears from the front, which is how everyone else sees them, not from the side, where surgeons are tempted to judge. Cartilage sutures can then be adjusted a millimetre at a time while you watch. Under general anaesthesia that check has to wait until the dressing comes off days later.

When we still recommend sedation or general

Some adults should not be awake for this. If you are highly anxious, have a strong startle response, cannot lie still for ninety minutes, or are having otoplasty combined with another procedure, sedation or general anaesthesia is the better choice and we will say so. There is no prize for enduring surgery awake. Our Şişli theatre sits inside a hospital with an intensive care unit, so the option is available without moving you to another building.

The rest of the day, and the rest of the week

You leave with a bulky head dressing and instructions to keep your head elevated. Expect a throbbing evening; simple painkillers handle it. The dressing is changed at day three and replaced by a soft headband worn day and night for two weeks, then at night only for a further four. Desk work at day four, no contact sport for six weeks. Total cost from €1,600, which includes the theatre, the surgeon, the dressings and the follow-up checks.

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