Question:
I’ve heard permanent sutures are often used during otoplasty. What would happen if one of these were to come out?
Answer:
Dr. Williams will use a combination of dissolvable and once in a while non-dissolvable sutures to help create the desired cosmetic shape of your ears. The purpose of these sutures is to guide the cartilage in the new shape so that it can heal in the desired position. The skin overlying the ear then drapes over the underlying structure. In time, the cartilage assumes its new position as the dissolvable sutures go away. Therefore, if a non-dissolvable suture is used, the cartilage will gain enough strength to stay in its new desirable position without concern.
About the Author: Dr. Edwin Williams
Dr. Edwin Williams is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who founded The Williams Center in 1993. He has performed over 10,000 facial plastic surgery procedures and has pioneered the deep plane facelift. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery for over a decade, and served as President from 2015-2016. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Dr. Williams earned the Castle Connelly Top Doctors award in New York Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Edwin F. Williams III attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982. He began medical school at the State University of Buffalo School of Medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine in 1986.
Dr. Williams is actively involved in teaching facial plastic and reconstruction surgery to the residents of the Albany Medical Center and is former Chief of the Section of Facial and Plastic Reconstruction Surgery at Albany Medical Center where he received an academic appointment of Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery.