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Ear surgery side effects and risks are the unwanted but mild and temporary effects of a usually successful procedure. Examples might include feeling sick after the general anesthetic or painkillers. However, medicines are available to help avoid this. In addition, there are some even more common side effects of ear surgery. The ears are likely to ache for the first few days, and will probably be tender for several weeks. The ears may feel a little numb after the operation but this usually settles within a few weeks after the surgery. The procedure will leave a scar behind the ear that should fade over time.
Complications are unexpected problems that can occur during and after plastic surgery although most people are not affected. The primary complications of any surgery are bleeding during or soon after the procedure. Furthermore, you might experience an abnormal reaction to the anesthetic or develop a blood clot, usually in a vein in the leg called deep vein thrombosis. Further treatment may be required, such as further surgery to stop the bleeding, or antibiotics to deal with the infection. Specific complications of ear surgery are uncommon but can include an infection in the wound that may make the ear swollen and weepy. This is normally treated with antibiotics and regular dressing changes, but in rare cases, further surgery may be needed to drain the infected area. A blood clot in the skin of the ear may dissolve naturally or may need to be drawn out with a needle.
Some loss of skin from the area, which may need a later skin graft, is very rare. The development of unusually red or raised scars that some people have a genetic tendency to is a common side effect. Asymmetrical ear position occurs in some cases; a further surgery may be necessary to readjust the ears.
The chance of complications after plastic surgery depends on the exact type of procedure that you wish to perform. It also depends on some other factors, such as the patient’s general health. The surgeon will be able to explain how the risks apply in each individual case after the surgery.
Side effects of breast augmentation as a common plastic surgery complication
The most common side effect of breast implant surgery is capsular contracture. The scar (or capsule) around the implant begins to tighten and squeezes down on the soft implant, causing the breast to feel hard. Your surgeon may treat capsular contracture with additional surgery to remove the scar tissue. Occasionally, patients with capsular contracture may have to have the implant removed and replaced with a new one in a second procedure. However, recent studies show that the likelihood of capsular contracture can be reduced if implants are treated with antibacterial agents during surgery.
Other possible side effects of breast implants include calcium deposits in the breast tissue around the implant, infection around the implant, and hematoma or seroma (blood or fluid trapped in the wound).