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What are my chances of another operation?

I had an otoplasty/pinnaplasty (an operation where pins back ears) operation back in October last year, the initial results were really good. I was happy with them, they no longer stuck out anymore and they did not become an issue. The operation was described in my NHS notes as ‘successful and the patient is very happy with them’. This was true at the time but around a month after the operation, my ears became to move forward again. It progressed throughout the course of this year and is now forward again but I must admit, they are not as bad as they were before the operation but nevertheless I am not happy with the result. I visited my GP today in attempt to get this operation redone again as they still bother me. He said I must prove they are psychologically affecting me. Well what’s the definition of that?
They do cause me bother. I mean, I am forever trying to pin them back with my hands. Every street corner I walk, every person I meet, I just keep pressing them to my head believing they will go back to how they were (which they obviously don’t, it’s become much of a habit now!). They are always on my mind in away I seek to get them redone again. Every time I look in the mirror I just want to stick them back. I was going to try super glue but that would be extremely silly so I am not going to do that. I have used sellotape to force them back but again it’s pretty stupid. I just want them pinned back slightly again so I don’t have to worry about them. I don’t believe I am obsessed with them being pinned back. UI just feel the whole operation has been a waste and all the pain I had to go through when I was younger, I expect the operation to have worked.

So I did go to my GP, he said he can’t refer me to have the operation redone as the NHS trust in my area no longer allows this but he did give me letter with a phone number to ring for an appointment with the consultant that did my operation. He told me to wait a week though… not sure why?

I can’t afford to get this operation done privately that is why I am trying to use the NHS again. Does anyone believe I have a realistic chance of getting this redone? Thanks (sorry about the essay).

Reply 1

Mr.God

7

I wouldn't know if you have a chance of having it redone on the NHS, but it if really bothers you that much, then it might be worth saving from a part time job or taking out a small personal loan for it.

Reply 2

ECHASL

use bluetack

Reply 3

User69701

10

It is doubtful that they will redo it on NHS again. It depends on how much money your local NHS has. If you really wanna go thorught that again ask your GP. I wouldn't bother.

Reply 4

Mr.God

7

ECHASL

use bluetack

Lolocaust!

Reply 5

Anonymous #1

OP

JayB124

It is doubtful that they will redo it on NHS again. It depends on how much money your local NHS has. If you really wanna go thorught that again ask your GP. I wouldn't bother.

I've already contacted my GP. Well my local NHS is sacking over 1,000 staff because it's in deficit. My confidence is really low, don't think I'll bother, I'm really upset about it but it's making me feel extremely guilty. :frown:

Reply 6

User69701

10

If it is making you upset, you might as well do it. In the mean time a different hairstyle can make it seem like your ears don't stick out as much.

Reply 7

abc101

17

Did you wear your bandages and then a headband all the time you were meant to after your op? If you're a guy or in your late teens/early twenties it's possible the operation might not have been as successful as you'd like, as cartilage in men is thicker and gets thicker as you get older.

I know it can be hugely detrimental to your confidence, so I do feel for you. Perhaps you could just keep going back to your GP, saying your appearance is really getting at you? It's ridiculous someone can have a sex change on the NHS and not an otoplasty revision! Then again, as someone suggested, a loan - it's about 2,000 to 2,500 pounds for an otoplasty privately.

Reply 8

Azzle

1

If it's getting to the stage where you're attempting to stick them back with sellotape, surely that counts as it being psychologically challenging or whatever?? My advice is to go to the doctors and just exaggerate on how you feel. If half a million is spent a year on keeping Ian Huntley alive, why the ***** shouldnt you have your operation done again, when you've done nothing to deserve it??

If all else fails, move to an area where the NHS get better funding!

Reply 9

Azzle

1

If it's getting to the stage where you're attempting to stick them back with sellotape, surely that counts as it being psychologically challenging or whatever?? My advice is to go to the doctors and just exaggerate on how you feel. If half a million is spent a year on keeping Ian Huntley alive, why the ***** shouldnt you have your operation done again, when you've done nothing to deserve it??

If all else fails, move to an area where the NHS get better funding!

Reply 10

Anonymous #2

I've had mine done 3 times as it just didn't work the first 2, and they could see mine hadn't worked therefore caused no fuss and did it again.. not much help sorry, but i know exactly how you feel, having been through that damn pain for nothing.

Reply 11

waznaz

do you really want another operation .if it doesnt work next time will you do it again.you say that your confadance has really suffered i worry how healthy it would be to persue it beyond a certain point and the effect that disapointment may have on your self esteam .i hope it works out for you i really hope you come to realise how beutiful you really are :p:

Reply 12

Anonymous #1

OP

JayB124

If it is making you upset, you might as well do it. In the mean time a different hairstyle can make it seem like your ears don't stick out as much.

Sometimes I dread going the hair dressers because my ears ust stick out laods. I hate looking in the mirror when they cut my hair. I just don't want to dothis for the rest of my life. I have my hair short at both sides of my head as I have it styled and it suits me but I would feel so much better if my dam ears wouldn't stick out like Mickey Mouses.

Reply 13

Anonymous #1

OP

Boo

Did you wear your bandages and then a headband all the time you were meant to after your op?

I wasn't told to wear one at all. After reading so much stuff about this operation on the internet, everyone experience of this operation required them to wear a headband. I didn't.

Boo

If you're a guy or in your late teens/early twenties it's possible the operation might not have been as successful as you'd like, as cartilage in men is thicker and gets thicker as you get older.

Maybe but I believe the operation would of been more successful if I had warn an headband. Like I said, I wasn't told to, so I ust didn't think I needed to. Initially after the bandages had been taken off, I was pleased with the results and my ears looked solid and fitted nicely in their new place. But since I didn't wear a headband, the support wasn't there long enough, hence they came forward again.

Boo

I know it can be hugely detrimental to your confidence, so I do feel for you.

Thanks. Although I am relatively confident anyway, my inner confidence is shattered. I just don't want the ear thing to be an issue to me. It's not an issue to anyone else, I want to be like that.
Everytime I meet someone, I'm busy forcing my ears back with my heads, in a belief they will stay back, they don't know, well, obviously.

Boo

Perhaps you could just keep going back to your GP, saying your appearance is really getting at you?

For me, saying that to a strangeer, especially a GP, it's hard. I just keep thinking they won't understand me. I went to my GP yesterday and asked if the op could be possibley redone again. He gave me a weird look and thought well I doubt it sort of thing. But he gave me my doctors notes on this issue to take university with me as he doesn't believe the NHS trust back home will be able to do it for me again. Probably because the deficit it's in.

Boo

It's ridiculous someone can have a sex change on the NHS and not an otoplasty revision! Then again, as someone suggested, a loan - it's about 2,000 to 2,500 pounds for an otoplasty privately.

Exactly. The NHS is often abused but I am a legitmate case. They can spend millions of pounds on health tourists coming into this country too but they fail people like me. Thenagain, I feel guilty when I ask for the op to be redone when I see the money could be used for a cancer patient. Ah It's an awkward situation. I felt like that when i had it done the first time

How is a student susposed get a loan? I already have one with the studentsd loan company.

Reply 14

Anonymous #1

OP

Azzle

If it's getting to the stage where you're attempting to stick them back with sellotape, surely that counts as it being psychologically challenging or whatever??

That's what I were thinking but consultants and doctors look at me pathetically when I say things like that. It shatters my confidence even more.

Azzle

My advice is to go to the doctors and just exaggerate on how you feel.

I went yesterday, I wasn't clear on what he told me but I think he was basically saying I've got to make my own appointment with the consultant, he gave me info on how to to it. If that fails, he gave me paper work to try and get it done at the NHS trust at university.

Azzle

If half a million is spent a year on keeping Ian Huntley alive, why the ***** shouldnt you have your operation done again, when you've done nothing to deserve it??

If all else fails, move to an area where the NHS get better funding!

Makes your blood boil doesn't it when scum of the earth like him get everything when innocent people are left to suffer. The system is wrong.

Reply 15

Anonymous #1

OP

Anonymous

I've had mine done 3 times as it just didn't work the first 2, and they could see mine hadn't worked therefore caused no fuss and did it again.. not much help sorry, but i know exactly how you feel, having been through that damn pain for nothing.

Did you have it done on the NHS? Mine arew clearly sticking out too but my trust is more concerned with money than anything else.

Yeah I've been through both emotionally pain and phsyical pain (going through the op) and achieved nothing - I don't have the result I wanted.

I keep believeing it were because I didn't wear a headband that my ears are sticking out again. I want answeres but lack the confidence to help my self even though it's making me derpressed.

I have so many records of how many times I've gone the doctors stating how depressed I am. I've seen social services, they ask what's up with me but they don't understand when I tell then it's my appearance, they try and blame it on something else.

Maybe I could use my doctors notes to persuade the consultant to try again.

Reply 16

Mr.God

7

Do you think it's definitely your ears and only your ears which are the problem? I know one guy who has always had terrible, terrible confidence. First he had no confidence and was depressed because he was fat, then he lost the weight and started getting depressed because he was skinny, so he bulked up, then he had no confidence because he had a few moles, then he had them removed and had no confidence because they left scars, etc.

You get my point. Could it be there's a deeper issue, or is it really only the ears?

Reply 17

Anonymous #1

OP

waznaz

do you really want another operation .

Yes - when it's constantly on your mind to get it redone again, yes I certainly want it done again!

waznaz

.if it doesnt work next time will you do it again.

Probably not but at least I have tried again and my fears of the reasons behind the last op for not succeeding will fade. But I genuinally believe the op would work if I had it redone again.

My bandage came off 5 days after the op I had to put itback on my self, then I didn't wear a headband like everyone else does, but I wasn't told to do it. I was discharged and that were it.

waznaz

you say that your confadance has really suffered i worry how healthy it would be to persue it beyond a certain point and the effect that disapointment may have on your self esteam .

I have a lot of confidence. When I mentioned confidence above I were referring to my confidence in the NHS being able to give me the op again. Yes I am disappointed in the results but like I said, I genuinally believe it were down to the lack of support for my ears. As soon as the badnages were off there was no other support for them.

I suffered a great amount of emotional pain before the op and a lot of phyical pain after the op, I will go through the lot of it again as long as it gets the rresult I want.

waznaz

.i hope it works out for you i really hope you come to realise how beutiful you really are :p:

Thanks, nice words. I've been told I am nice looking but I see past that as I see my ears are a problem. I know many will say no they are not etc but they are to me. I would like them pinned back like 'normal' ears. I just don't want to go through life thinking... what if I had it done again or thinking about my ears a lot of the time, esepcially when I look in the mirror.

Reply 18

Corkeys_queen

how long did you have the bandage on for after they did it because when i had mine doen a few years ago, the bandage was only left on for 24 hours which caused one of my ears to fill up with blood and completely swell up so they had to take the blood out and i had to wear a bandage for about 2 weeks!
Maybe they didnt leave the bandage on for long enough? i dont know..how the hell are you supposed to prove it is causing psychological damage!??

Reply 19

Anonymous #1

OP

Mr.God

Do you think it's definitely your ears and only your ears which are the problem? I know one guy who has always had terrible, terrible confidence. First he had no confidence and was depressed because he was fat, then he lost the weight and started getting depressed because he was skinny, so he bulked up, then he had no confidence because he had a few moles, then he had them removed and had no confidence because they left scars, etc.

You get my point. Could it be there's a deeper issue, or is it really only the ears?

I have deeper issues too but to suggest I'm in away covering up deeper issues thinking if I get my ears 'fizxed' then I'll be better is wrong.

I'll admit, I do have deeper issues, I have far too many issues to state. I am a problem child but that's because of the environment I've been brought up in. But that's not the point.

The point is, if I get my ears done... is life going to be ther best thing ever? are my problems going to go away? No way are they. I will jsut feel a bit more confident in my self. I'll have one less issue. I can look in the mirror and think yeah i do lopok OK today. I am fe dup of looking in the mirror and forcing them jugs (lol) back!

I do understand what you're saying but it doesn't apply to me.

I'm not after perfection, just some normality, everyones definition of that is different but my definiton of normality is having at least 5 OK days in a week on average.... not being worried about my ears i.e sticking out and wanting an operaiton done on them again.
I usdt want myself to feel good about my self which I never do because I don't see it. Getting my ears pinned back will kill an ever lasting(so it seems ) worry to me.

What are my chances of another operation?

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