Broad geography cartilage excision

This looks amazing (procedure by the always border-smashing Howie aka LunaCobra), but I had two concerns about these photos. First, that enough structural damage has been done by cutting broadly across the anti-helix (ie. where you’d place a rook), that it wouldn’t take a lot for the ear to collapse — Howie emphasizes that he’s done a large number of these removals and that this person’s ear was robust and strong enough to heal successfully.

My other concern was that with a removal of this sort that crosses several very easy to penetrate (by bacteria) cartilage folds that by wearing the industrial bar across it during healing that there is a fairly high chance of post-procedural infection.

That said, if you want this particular hole, it’s not like there’s really a better way to do it! Some things simply involve risk, and you either accept them or you don’t do it… In any case, other than accidentally dropping a heavy weight on his ear three days into the healing (yowch!), he’s healing well.

18 thoughts on “Broad geography cartilage excision

  1. I love it. It looks like the industrial is holding it in place as it heals. nifty!

  2. Was there any thought into what shape was going to be cut out, or was it just as random as it looks? It doesn’t flow with the shape of the ear at all.

  3. Woo woo! Howie does it again.

    I love the concept idea of conch to inner conch removal, really cool. I think its going to totally blow people away.

    When I first saw it, I imagined those kids toys with all the different shaped holes in a sphere and you have to get the right pieces in the right holes….. maybe I’m just a kid tho!

    Keep it up Howie!

  4. i’ve had work done by howie and can vouch for him. it might look like he takes risks but he does a lot of research b4 anything he does. i can’t wait for him to come back to england when i’m gonna get a transcrotal. big thumbs up!

  5. My only question is sound.. That part of your ear is vital for captin sound, and flowing it down into your ear. I wonder if it has an impact on your hearing. I’d think it would. Maybe not to the extent to which someone would notice. But none the less.

  6. “Some things simply involve risk, and you either accept them or you don’t do it”

    you said it right there Shannnon. But sadly I think more and more these days, the people getting these procedures. Aren’t fully aware of the risks or simply do not respect the risks.

    Much like how kids growing up think they’ll never die, they are super human,etc.

    Nowadays with our community I think more and more people are seeing VERY extreme things done and thinking everything is safe and ok.

  7. I love the idea of cartilage removal, but the truth is that the pinna is NOT a useless hunk of cartilage. As anyone who’s had to have their ear removed will tell you, it makes a vast difference in your ability to hear. It acts as a funnel to direct sound waves into your ear. If you remove large chunks of it, you could be severely damaging your hearing.

  8. I agree. Larger ear modifications such as that do have a detrimental effect on your body, maybe he won’t notice it much now. But I know that it will have an impact on his hearing.

    I guess people have to decide what is more important, another hold in your ear, or hearing. I know where I stand.

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