…shouts of “What boy! I didn’t know it was easy like that!”
They are the happiest patients. Period. And for good reason; before that, they had resigned themselves to hiding their disfigured ear for the rest of their lives.
To pierce, or not to pierce; that is the question new parents struggle with. On one hand, there are those who claim Jesus “was pierced for our inequities” so let’s pierce everything. Others adhere to some 11th commandment, “Thou shalt not wear earrings.” Whatever floats your boat! Suffice it to say that untold millions of women throughout the ages keep expressing themselves with earrings that range from the sublime to the ridiculous. It boggles the imagination the weight of ornaments some people put on their ears. Big surprise – the piecing gradually stretches over time and hence the need for surgical correction.
Those caring for little ones; take note: Babies reaching up grab these shiny, attractive things. They can inflict real damage if their cute chubby fingers are not pried loose in quick time. If truth be told, wearing large hoops in bacchanal situations may not be a good idea. It is so easy for them to get caught in the action. Ouch! Women who get into scratching, biting, weave & earring-pulling dayba between rivals – be advised.
In olden days, the only males who adorned their ears were pirates. Trust me, it was more out of rebellion than for charm. Then, a couple decades ago, veteran 60 Minutes African American journalist Ed Bradley and basketball legend Michael Jordan broke the earring ceiling for mainstream men. Back then, earrings on a particular side signaled something about ones sexuality. The more piercings one has, the more likely one is to be propositioned from either gender – which renders the above notion obsolete.
The fewer instances earlobes injuries in men stem from turning maco in sporting events or in drunken corba (fracas). The two most celebrated examples in living memory is Tyson biting Holyfield in a world championship fight and Suarez biting Chiellini in Uruguay vs. Italy in a 2014 World Cup match. Sports lovers will recall comedians trying to outdo each other in making light of these incidents.
Simple Surgery
But for today’s patients, this may well be ancient history. All they want is to be able to wear their earrings again. Whatever the mechanism of injury, the principles surgical reconstruction are essentially the same: empathy for the patient and attention to detail.
The first appointment is for evaluation and instructions. The ‘dry’ operation, scheduled in the office, lasts less than half an hour. The amplified sounds of instruments from working on the ear itself may make some patients tense. A mild sedative pill may be administered beforehand. In such cases, the patient should be accompanied and not allowed to drive home.
The operation is performed under magnification. The healed skin on either side of the tear is meticulously removed. The earlobe is then delicately sutured together. A sterile gold stud is left in place to retain the piercing. It is preferable to perform the procedure on a Friday to minimize questions from a curious public. After the first dressing change at home, patients can conveniently message back a pic of the incision to update the office. Removal of stitches takes place a few days later. The resulting scar is barely noticeable. By 3-4 weeks, the patient can continue wearing earrings as usual.
A Thing of Beauty
Poor, boring me; I never wore an earring and likely never will. However I feel honoured to attend to whatever medical piercing issue comes my way. The torn earlobe patient tends not to be sick in the traditional sense. Ergo, their satisfaction level is uniquely different from the relief felt by those finding out that they do not have cancer, for example.
To be made whole is a joy forever. Indeed, that sensitive place – where sweet nothings are whispered – can once again serve as a very personal way to sparkle.
Dr. Sam Christian is surgeon who runs the Urgent Care on 137 Bath Road. It offers general medical care, office surgery, acupuncture and microdermabrasion. He is Medical Adviser to the Dominica Cancer Society and the Dominica Cadet Corps. For further information, please call 440-9133 or log on to http://urgentcareda.weebly.com/.
This was a great article! I have a lot of respect for your surgical expertise. I didn’t know that ears could be repaired like that without serious plastic surgery. Very impressive!
Informative and Funny. Thank you. However, my lobes are in tact.
I see piercing of ears as a beauty enhancer, but I like to be conservative in choice of earrings. We cannot all be the same however… some are born with a flare for arts and express that in their choice of earrings. I’ve never admired earrings on guys, I guess that has to do with my background. On having surgeries to correct torn piercings, I guess it’s no different from having a surgery to correct a torn cruciate after a hazard at a football game… Almost everything can be corrected these days. My only advice is for people who are prone to developing keloids. They should take care not to let that happen to them.
I like earrings on my man. It makes him look a bit on the rebel side. The earring makes him look more macho (although I know he’s a carpor)
Nice article. Good research.
A good piece to learn from ..thanks Dr. christian
Well it’s a robust article from a knowledgeable Doctor- I liked the historical perspective- so the society understands why it’s done and where it all came from…the Religious perspective was funny- I saw that as a way of certain people trying to influence culture through religion (they always do).
Not only has Dr. Christian identified the problem, He is providing a simple surgical solution…thank you Dr.
Sorry there are some typos in my earlier post. It was too late when I realized it.
Nice write up. Thank you sir for the expose.
I belong to the group of individuals who do not see wearing earrings a necessity. I would rather mot bother myself abput them. So, running the risk of gettinf my ear lobes torn is greatly minimized… just saying though…
That looks sick! Government shouldn’t be paying for that kind of surgery and not building roads for suffering farmers. These people did that to themselves and it’s not life threatening.
Very informative and interesting though. Nice Sunday afternoon read.
Can I get that done at the hospital? How about at the health centre?
Luis Suarez did not bite anyone’s ear in the World Cup although he has been warned about biting several times in the past. There is therefore no connection between his problem and women wearing heavy earrings. Right on Tyson. Wrong on Suarez.
Thanks Dr. Christian for that inspiring article. You make it sound so simple. For those of us who have a fear of surgery! Am sure your patient is very happy.