Rhinoplasty Helps Our Mississauga and Toronto Patients — Otoplasty Remedies Ear-Shape Irregularities
The nose and the ears are the most prominent features of the face. When size or shape of the nose or ears is out of proportion, it can drastically affect the aesthetics of the entire face. For patients who, because of genetics or trauma, are unhappy with the size or shape of their nose, Dr. Lista offers exceptional rhinoplasty procedures to the Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, and Oakville communities. Otoplasty, often called ear pinning, can help those who would like to alter the shape of their or their child's ears to make them more proportionate to facial features. Many of our patients undergo one or both of these procedures in conjunction with laser wrinkle removal, face lift, BOTOX® treatment, or even a body contouring or breast procedure as part of a comprehensive aesthetic makeover. The soft, natural-looking results of our otoplasty and rhinoplasty procedures can provide dramatic improvements to the appearance of the face and can enhance self-esteem. Schedule a free cosmetic surgery consultation with Dr. Lista in Mississauga to learn more about otoplasty and rhinoplasty and how they can help you attain the look you desire.
- Before Your Surgery
- Rhinoplasty
- The Rhinoplasty Procedure
- After Rhinoplasty Surgery
- Returning to Everyday Life
- The Risks of Rhinoplasty Surgery
- Otoplasty
- The Otoplasty Procedure
- After Otoplasty Surgery
- The Risks of Otoplasty Surgery
- Enjoying the Results
Before Your Surgery
Dr. Lista personally sees all his patients at least once prior to otoplasty or rhinoplasty surgery. Mississauga, Toronto, Oakville, and Brampton area residents are requested to meet with Dr. Lista twice, if possible. Whether you are a candidate for a rhinoplasty or otoplasty procedure, our surgeon will spend all the time necessary to discuss your goals for your surgery and advise you on the limitations of each procedure. With computerized digital imaging, Dr. Lista can give you a preview of the approximate results of your procedure after all healing is complete.
Dr. Lista will provide full instructions on how you should prepare for your surgery. Among other things, the instructions provide recommendations for diet, drinking, smoking, and taking vitamins and medications. Adherence to Dr. Lista's instructions will help ensure optimal results. If you are a smoker, you should plan to quit at least two weeks before your surgery because smoking impedes blood flow and can affect healing.
Dr. Lista performs most otoplasty and rhinoplasty procedures at his Mississauga Plastic Surgery Clinic. If you prefer, your surgery can also be performed at the Trillium Health Center (The Mississauga Hospital), where Dr. Lista serves as chief of plastic surgery. Our doctor performs all surgeries himself—residents or students do not assist in any surgeries.
Depending on your preference and Dr. Lista's recommendations, your surgery may be performed using local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia. If general anesthesia is preferred, it will be administered by a specialist who is board certified in anesthesia. This physician will stay with you throughout the procedure, until you wake up.
You will need to arrange for a friend or relative to pick you up and drive you home after surgery, and to stay with you for at least 24 hours while you recover.
Rhinoplasty
One of the most popular procedures we perform at the Plastic Surgery Clinic is nose reshaping, or rhinoplasty. Residents of Toronto, Oakville, and Brampton come to our Mississauga clinic because they know that Dr. Lista is one of the most skilled and experienced plastic surgeons in Canada. Each year Dr. Lista performs 75 to 100 rhinoplasty procedures. Using advanced techniques, Dr. Lista can make a nose smaller or larger, change the shape or angle of the nose, and even correct some injuries, birth defects, and breathing problems. Dr. Lista always strives for results that look as natural as possible, and he demands that every rhinoplasty procedure be performed under the safest conditions.
The Rhinoplasty Procedure
Rhinoplasty is typically performed as an outpatient procedure and usually takes one or two hours to complete, although more involved procedures can take longer. Dr. Lista most often makes incisions within the nose so that no external scarring results. In some complicated cases, however, it is necessary to perform an open procedure by making small incision across the columella, the strip of tissue that separates the nostrils.
Working through the incisions made within the nostrils or at the base of the nose, Dr. Lista lifts the skin of the nose and sculpts the underlying bone and cartilage to the desired shape. If the nostrils are too wide, Dr. Lista removes small wedges of tissue from the septum and brings the nostrils into closer proximity. When shaping is complete, the skin is returned to the framework of the nose.
To learn more about the particular shaping methods Dr. Lista uses in his rhinoplasty procedures, Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, and Brampton residents can contact the Plastic Surgery Clinic to schedule a consultation with our expert surgeon.
After Rhinoplasty Surgery
You can expect some discomfort after your rhinoplasty procedure. Our Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, and Brampton patients who have had their nose reshaped can tell you that you will have a puffy face, an aching nose, and possibly a headache, especially in the first 24 hours following the procedure. Dr. Lista will prescribe pain medication to help you with the discomfort. You should expect to stay in bed with your head elevated during the day following your rhinoplasty procedure.
Swelling and bruising that develops around the eyes will peak after two to three days. You can use compresses to reduce the swelling and increase your comfort. This swelling and bruising should fade completely within two weeks. If your nose bleeds in the first days after your rhinoplasty surgery, there is no cause for alarm. This is common. You may have a stuffy nose for about a week. However, Dr. Lista will advise you not to blow your nose during this week so that the tissues can heal properly. The nasal packing placed after the surgery will be removed after three or four days, and after about two weeks the external splint or cast will be removed.
Returning to Everyday Life
Although within two days you will likely be able to get up and move about after your rhinoplasty surgery, you should expect full recovery to take several weeks. Dr. Lista will provide detailed guidelines for resuming normal activities. He will advise you to avoid doing anything strenuous for two to three weeks. It's important not to rub or hit your nose for two months. You should avoid sunburn during this period as well.
Wearing contact lenses is fine anytime after your rhinoplasty surgery, but glasses must be taped or positioned so that they don’t rest on your healing nose for six to seven weeks.
You will have several follow-up appointments with Dr. Lista in the months following your rhinoplasty procedure. He will check the progress of your healing, and you can ask any questions or report any unusual developments. Of course, you may contact Dr. Lista or a member of his knowledgeable staff anytime after your surgery if you have questions or concerns.
It's important to keep in mind the longer-term aesthetic goal of your surgery in the days and weeks following your procedure. Because healing takes time, you may become depressed and worry that you'll never reach that goal. These feelings are natural and will pass as healing progresses. The final results take about a year to become fully apparent, so patience is the key word in a rhinoplasty procedure.
The Risks of Rhinoplasty Surgery
Because of Dr. Lista's expertise and experience in rhinoplasty procedures, our Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, and Brampton patients can be assured that chances for complications during their surgery are very small. However, all surgery carries some inherent risk. After rhinoplasty surgery, small blood vessels may burst and become apparent on the surface of the skin. This is usually temporary but may become permanent. Open rhinoplasty procedures will leave small scars at the base of the nose that usually are not noticeable. In about 10 percent of cases, a second procedure is necessary to correct an aberration or deformity. This is typical of even the most skilled cosmetic surgeons and usually requires minor corrective surgery.
Dramatic or subtle nose reshaping can be accomplished with our outstanding rhinoplasty procedures. Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, and Brampton residents who feel rhinoplasty could improve their appearance should contact the Plastic Surgery Institute today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Frank Lista.
Otoplasty
At the Plastic Surgery Clinic, we help many children from the Mississauga and Toronto areas with otoplasty, also known as ear pinning. Children with unusually large, prominent, or malformed ears quickly become the targets of playmates' taunts. This can destroy self-esteem and cause bullied children to develop emotional problems that affect school and home life. Because children can have an otoplasty procedure from the age of five, Dr. Lista can help children avoid the trauma of playground harassment at an early age.
Dr. Lista treats many Brampton, Oakville, Toronto, and Mississauga adults through otoplasty as well. Our adult patients come to the Plastic Surgery Clinic to have Dr. Lista give their ears an aesthetically pleasing shape because they are tired of hearing snide comments or concealing their ears with long hair or other means. Otoplasty can do more than improve the appearance of the ears, however. It can also boost self-esteem and improve confidence in social, business, and romantic settings.
Various problems cause people to seek ear correction with otoplasty. A patient's ears may be normally sized but are exceptionally prominent. Some people have unusually large ears or ears that are abnormally shaped. Dr. Lista evaluates each patient's unique characteristics so that he can customize the otoplasty procedure to achieve optimal results. His goal is to provide an aesthetically pleasing shape that gives no indication that the patient ever had cosmetic surgery. If you or your child could benefit from otoplasty, schedule a free, informative consultation with our ear pinning expert today
The Otoplasty Procedure
It comes as a surprise to many of our Brampton, Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto patients that otoplasty is an outpatient procedure that generally only takes about two hours to complete, although complex procedures may require more time. Dr. Lista customizes his otoplasty techniques to the unique needs of each patient.
In a common technique used to help patients with prominent ears, Dr. Lista exposes ear cartilage at the back of the ear with an incision. He trims the cartilage and maneuvers the ear so that it sits closer to the head. Sutures hold the ear and cartilage in place until healing makes them unnecessary.
To give an ear a new shape, Dr. Lista makes an incision to the back of the ear and sculpts cartilage to the desired contours. In some cases, Dr. Lista simply removes skin from the back of the ear and folds the cartilage into an aesthetically pleasing profile. He then uses stitches to maintain the new shape.
When a person has only one ear that protrudes, Dr. Lista will usually perform an otoplasty procedure on both ears so that a balanced look is achieved. The surgery leaves a faint scar that fades over time.
After Otoplasty Surgery
Our Brampton, Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto otoplasty patients are usually back on their feet within a few hours of their surgery. After the procedure, the patient must wear a rather bulky bandage. This will be replaced with a lighter, headband-like bandage after a week has passed. The patent may experience some pain for a few days. Dr. Lista can provide pain medication to relieve this discomfort. Perhaps the most difficult part of otoplasty surgery for both adults and children is that the patient must rest quietly at home for approximately a week. Arrangements must be made, therefore, to miss a week of school or work. After returning to normal daily activities, the patient must avoid bending or twisting the ear to ensure proper healing.
The Risks of Otoplasty Surgery
Dr. Lista has extensive experience helping patients from Brampton, Oakville, Toronto, and Mississauga with otoplasty. His experience, skills, and strict adherence to the highest standards of safety help to ensure that every otoplasty procedure he performs is virtually risk free. However, any surgical procedure carries some risk. Patients sometimes experience an adverse reaction to anesthesia. Infection is possible, but this can almost always be successfully treated with antibiotics. A blood clot can form on the ear. When this occurs, it may disappear on its own, or Dr. Lista can remove it with a needle. In a very small percentage of patients, a deep suture gives way and the ear returns to a protruding position. In this case, the otoplasty procedure usually must be repeated.
Enjoying the Results
Our Brampton, Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto patients who have otoplasty are almost universally thrilled with their results. Children often become much more sociable and outgoing, and their grades and attitude toward school improve. Both children and adults enjoy a newfound sense of self-esteem and a boost in their self-confidence. Dr. Lista cautions patients that they shouldn't expect perfectly symmetrical ears to result from otoplasty. Ears are naturally asymmetrical, and Dr. Lista's goal is for the otoplasty patient to have attractive, natural-looking ears that show no signs of having been altered through surgery.
Providing soft, natural-looking results with rhinoplasty and otoplasty procedures to help Brampton, Oakville, Toronto, and Mississauga patients achieve their aesthetic goals, Dr. Frank Lista maintains the highest standards for surgical excellence and safety. Contact the Plastic Surgery Clinic to schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Lista.