If things go as planned, you should pretty much have a normal looking ear 1-2 weeks after your procedure. It takes skill to make sure that this happens on the part of your surgeon. Meticulous control of oozing makes a difference as well as frequent followups. Sometimes, surgeons will make little drainage holes in the field of the otoplasty procedure to allow for drainage that usually heals imperceptibly. Others employ small drains to help with the healing.

The less trauma your surgeon does during the procedure helps with healing as well.  The more skillful you do the surgery, the better. I usually wrap the person the first 24 hours to 72 hours and then the patient wears a head band after procedure nonstop for 1 week and then at night for 2 months. The sutures I place are usually absorbable, but I still have them come back the day after and then 6-7 days after the procedure and then 1-2 weeks after that.