Post-otoplasty ear keloids
Otoplasty is a corrective procedure used to reshape the ears, commonly performed on young individuals and children to improve the appearance, shape or angle of the ears. Small number patients, those who are prone to develop keloids, may develop keloids at the site of surgery behind their ears. These keloids are often symptomatic, causing itching and discomfort. Furhtermore, such a poor outcome after a corrective surgery to improve the appearance of the ears is quite stressfull. Images below depict a few examples of these keloids.
Treatment of Post Otoplasty Keloids:
The best approach to these keloids is early intervention when the keloid has not fully formed. Cryotherapy is the best treatment for bulky post otoplasty keloids.
Treating these keloids poses a challenge to the patient as well as the treating physician. The biggest fault in treating these keloids is the surgical removal of these keloids which almost always results in recurrence of the keloid, yet in a more severe form. We need to keep in mind that it was the very first otoplasty surgery that caused formation of the keloid. The video below depicts the application of cryotherapy to a bulky tumoral Post Otoplasty keloid and the dramatic results there were achieved.