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NIO performed by Dr Zurek
Prominent ears are one of the most common congenital anomalies that people desire to improve. Characteristics perceived as odd or unusual often have out-of proportion facial features, such as ears that are too large and stick out. Surgical correction of prominent ears was first reported in 1845 and since then, over 200 techniques have been reported with varying results. The current trend is to minimise intervention, keeping it simple, reducing downtime and the risk of complications.
The traditional approach to ear correction was challenged in early 1990. It was shown that ear correction could be successfully accomplished without cutting to open the front and back of the ear, cutting the cartilage or removing skin from the back of the ear. Long term post operative bandages and headbands were also found to be unnecessary. Our Service Locations Dr Zurek has serviced patients needing ear correction surgery all around Sydney, but particularly the areas of Canterbury, Cronulla, Darlinghurst, Double Bay, Kogarah, Miranda, Paddington, Woolahra and the Eastern Suburbs.
Dr Zurek performs the procedure under local anaesthetic and oral sedation. It takes about 1 hour to complete. No cutting is required as special sutures are “woven” into the ear under the skin though small punctures; the sutures remain permanently and are not visible or palpable after a short healing time. The results are instant with no scarring. It is recommended to wear a tennis-style headband in bed for 1-2 weeks.
Very short downtime, many patients return to work after a couple of days. As a general rule, it is considered preferable that ear correction surgery should not be performed under 6 years old, because by this age the ear reaches 80% adult size. Dr Zurek prefers to perform the procedure later in life when the child will cooperate during treatment and the procedure can be performed under local instead of general anaesthesia.
No risks involved with general anaesthetic/IV sedation
Nearly painless – No skin/cartilage incision or excision
No risk of scarring or unnatural contouring
No need for head bandages
Natural looking result
Next to no downtime
Affordable cost
Excellent cosmetic result
Low risk of infection
No hospital stay
The first ear correction (otoplasty) without incision in Australia was performed by Dr. Longin Zurek in 2004. He is amongst a handful of cosmetic surgeons in the world (and the only one in Australia) with over a decade of experience with the no-incision ear correction technique. Dr. Zurek was the only cosmetic surgeon offering this highly specialised procedure up until 2014.
Having performed a number of surgical otoplasty procedures, Dr. Zurek realised that the traditional aggressive surgical intervention was not necessary to correct protruding ears, therefore, he replaced the surgical ear correction with this new minimally invasive procedure.
Dr. Zurek developed the technique of the no-incision otoplasty into an advanced and refined procedure, which he presented at a number of cosmetic conferences in Australia, Asia, Europe and South America. He has also written and published several articles on his otoplasty technique in the Australian Cosmetic Surgery Magazine since 2005.
Initially, the non-incisional otoplasty was performed mostly on children with severely protruding (bat) ears but gradually he adapted his technique to all patients with a degree of prominent ears. In Dr. Zurek’s opinion, almost all patients with prominent ears can be corrected with his technique.
Other significant contributions from Dr. Zurek to the field of cosmetic surgery include:
The only Doctor in Australia to be fully trained in this highly advanced procedure is Dr. Ryan Wells. Dr. Wells has been specialising in the field of non-surgical ear correction for the past 2 years. He presented the refined NIO technique at an international cosmetic surgery conference in Asia in 2016 and also performed a live surgical demonstration of the no-incision otoplasty at the meeting.
| Dr Zurek’s Method | Conventional Method |
|---|---|
NO-INCISIONOTOPLASTY (NIO) |
CONVENTIONALSURGICAL |
 Local anaesthetic +/- oral sedation and pain relieving medication. |
 Usually a general anaesthetic or intravenous sedation |
 No-incision, only skin punctures. |
 Cutting behind the ear with removal of a strip of skin |
 No bandages only a headband at night to protect the ears against twisting. |
 Head bandage to be worn for several weeks. |
 Affordable all-inclusive costs. The current fee is $3300. |
 Substantial cost (surgical procedure, hospital and anaesthesiologist). |
This is a highly advanced procedure in the correction of protruding (bat) ears. After being introduced to Australia over 10 years ago by Dr. Longin Zurek, it has undergone many refinements to get to where it is today. This non-surgical ear-pinning technique restores facial symmetry by permanently reducing prominence of the ears.
Dr. Longin Zurek and Dr. Ryan Wells (the only other doctor in Australia trained in this specialised technique) are the leading non-invasive cosmetic ear correction specialists. With their years of experience and technical skills, this is the only centre to consider for non-surgical otoplasty.
The cost covers initial consultation, GST, the procedure room, assistant fee, medications and any follow-up appointments. Additionally, some patients may be eligible for a medicare rebate.
The results are immediate and permanent with natural long-term results. In general, after 3-6 months the cartilage develops a ‘memory’ of the newly introduced anti helical fold, ensuring a lasting cosmetic correction.
There is no scarring associated with this particular procedure as there is no cutting and only the inclusion of clear permanent sutures.
Immediately after the procedure there will be some minor bruising, swelling and tenderness. These are generally not significant enough to impede on normal day to day activities and can easily be concealed if required. Additionally, patients are provided with adequate pain relief medication for the minor discomfort that is experienced.
No bandages are necessary. We recommend wearing a headband at night to protect the ears against twisting whilst asleep.
The suture used is a clear, non-dissolving and non-visible material that does not have to be removed.
If done under clean and sterile conditions, and in appropriate sites on the ear – there should be no issue with ear piercings post-procedure.
Contact sports that involve or have the potential to involve direct trauma to the ears (e.g. rugby or boxing) is advised against in the first 3-6months. All other sports and training can generally be resumed after about 1-2 weeks post-procedure.
Click on an image to start a slideshow.
NIO performed by Dr Zurek
NIO performed by Dr Wells
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Cosmetic Surgery & Beauty Magazine #73 – The No Incision Ear Correction Changing Children’s Lives |
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Cosmetic Surgery Magazine #52 – Scarless Ear Correction |
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Cosmetic Surgery Magazine #47 – Correcting Prominent Ears |
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Cosmetic Surgery Magazine #44 – Ear Correction |
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Cosmetic Surgery Magazine #35 – Elegant Ears |
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Cosmetic Surgery Magazine #32 – Correcting Ears |