Complication Rates From Otoplasty at a Tertiary Facial Plastic Surgery Center: A Retrospective Analysis

Prominent ears are considered the most common congenital external ear deformity among Caucasians. Affecting approximately 5% of the population, it runs in families and exhibits equal sex incidence. This study aimed to determine the complication rate from otoplasty in a tertiary facial plastic surgery center. This retrospective cross-sectional study included all patients with prominent ears deformities who underwent otoplasty at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital between January 2019 and June 2021. The records of 116 patients who underwent otoplasty during the study period were examined and only 44 matched the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The total of 85 operated ears from 44 patients were included. Of these, 17 were pediatric patients and 25 were male patients. Forty-one patients underwent bilateral otoplasty and 3 underwent unilateral otoplasty. Complications occurred in 17/85 (20%) patients and the complications included recurrence 4 (4.70%), hypertrophic scar 3 (3.52%), keloid 2 (2.35), granuloma 2 (2.35%), infection 2 (2.35%), discomfort 1 (1.17%), wound dehiscence 1 (1.17%), hematoma 1 (1.17%), and retracted ear 1 (1.17%). The overall patient satisfaction was 38/44 (86.36%). Our study is first study conducted in middle east about otoplasty complications. It showed that the complications from otoplasty surgery varied from severe to mild, with acceptable overall satisfactory results. The most common complication was recurrence. Fortunately, serious complications, such as wound dehiscence and hematoma, were rare. However, our study’s small sample size remains a major limitation.