I left the ear cartilage in and removed only the silicone. After the surgery, I had it done so subtly that no one could tell, but since it was for my own satisfaction... I ended up removing it after 4 years.
Now there is almost no swelling, only bruising remains.
For those considering removal, it doesn't seem like such a major surgery, so you probably don't need to worry~ And I think it would be best to have it removed at the place where you had the surgery.
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