Welcome to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Otoplasty Discharge Instructions

Dressing You (or your child) will have a dressing that covers the ears and part of the head. This dressing must stay on until it is removed by the surgeon (usually in 7-10 days). The purpose of this dressing is to maintain the ears in the proper position. When the dressing is in place, it is normal for your hearing to be muffled. If the dressing becomes uncomfortably tight, notify your surgeon.

Activity

The medicine or sedation which was used to calm you will be acting in your body for the next 24 hours, so you might feel a little sleepy. This feeling will slowly wear off. Because the medication or sedation is still in your system, adult patients should not:

drive a car or operate machinery or power tools

drink any alcoholic beverages (not even beer)

make any important decisions, e.g., sign irrevocable papers

For the next____days, do not perform any strenuous activity. For the rest of today, you should stay at home and rest. For the next week, sit and sleep with your head elevated approximately 30 degrees. You can accomplish this by using several pillows. Do not allow the dressing to get wet. You may take a tub bath or a shower as long as the spray does not wet the dressing. You may wash your hair when the surgeon removes the dressing. You should not smoke for one week after surgery nor should you be around other people who smoke.

Pain

Most patients who have an otoplasty experience a moderate amount of discomfort. The surgeon will prescribe pain medication for you. If your pain is not relieved with these medications, please contact your surgeon. For milder pain, take acetaminophen (Tylenol); follow the directions on the bottle. Do not take aspirin or any medication containing aspirin or medications containing ibuprofen (Motrin).

Other Instructions

You will need to wear a "tennis band" for 4-6 weeks after surgery to help the ears maintain their proper position.

Follow-up visit

You will need to return to the clinic

on ______________

at ______________

Contingencies

Notify your surgeon if you have any of the following:

pain unrelieved by the pain medication. This may mean that the dressing is too tight and needs to be changed.

a temperature greater than 101^oF.

increasing redness or swelling or foul-smelling discharge from the incisions.

any other questions or problems. You can reach your surgeon by calling the Plastic Surgery Clinic during duty hours at (202) 576-1560; after duty hours, call the WRAMC emergency room at (202) 576-1199. If you feel the problem requires urgent attention (such as severe bleeding), call for an ambulance to take you to the nearest emergency room.