EarFold® implants are placed under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis and take only twenty minutes.
Prefold® is an almost exact replica of the Earfold® implant. This way the patient can visualize the final result of the treatment.
Prefold® allows :
- Determine the number of Earfold® Implants needed.
- Evaluate the positioning of the clips on the ear.
The patient stands in front of a mirror. After disinfecting the ears, the surgeon gently pushes the edge of the helix back from the ear to the head and then draws curved lines representing the top of the desired antelix plication. He places small pieces of double-sided tape on selected areas and folds the ear to create the desired antelix plication. Then he places the Prefold® clips to properly reposition the ear.
The surgeon takes pictures of the Prefold® to facilitate positioning during the subsequent Earfold® implantation. The result may differ slightly from what was expected during the simulation with the Prefold® Positioner.
Before the procedure
Remove all clips and piercings and come without earrings.
Style her hair so that the ears are as free as possible.
Placing the implants
The EarFold® implant is made of a nickel-titanium alloy metal, Nitinol. This material has two advantages:
- It is very elastic and the ear always returns to its original position.
- It permanently retains the predefined design.
The surgeon makes a small incision in the back fold of the ear and then inserts the EarFold® implant under the skin. Once in place, the implants cling to the cartilage of the ear and reduce the protruding appearance of the cartilage fold. He uses one or two EarFold® implants in each ear to achieve the desired result.
At the end of the procedure, the practitioner sutures with absorbable suture.