People all over the world are talking about Charles V. Bentley, the Australian man who had portions of his external ear removed, perhaps one of the most extreme versions of body modification. After images circulated of Bentley’s stitched up ears, otolaryngologists to plastic surgeons have thoughts about the procedure.
Bentley went to a “body modification artist” in Stockholm, Sweden, since most doctors highly discourage such a procedure. By altering the natural shape of the ear, the functionality will most definitely be affected, not to mention the residual side effects and small chance of reversal.
Allure reached out to Dr. Devgan, who says, "The risks of conch removal include bleeding, infection, undesirable scarring, wound healing issues, and the extreme difficulty of reversal. Conch removal is not easily reversed due to the complex anatomy of the ear, the importance of the cartilage support network, and the tenuous blood supply there. A combination of tissue flaps and grafts, which are highly complex plastic surgery procedures, would be needed." Read full article here.
