Ear Surgery

Ear surgery creates a natural shape, while bringing balance and proportion to the ears and face. Correction of even minor deformities can have profound beneﬁts to the appearance and self-esteem. Ear plastic surgery, also known as “Otoplasty” or “Pinnaplasty”, can correct ear conditions such as:

Protruding ears
Miss-shape of ears
Abnormally large ear lobes
Lop ear (in which the tip folds down and trends forward)
Shell ear (a condition in which certain features of a normal ear are missing)

Procedure

Surgery to reshape the ears involves re-modeling the cartilage into a less protruding shape. It is an operation to correct prominent ears and place them closer to the head. The operation is usually performed through an incision behind the ear, although other incisions may be used depending on individual surgical requirements. Then the cartilage is bent back towards the head. The Surgery consists of removing excess skin behind the upper part of the ear. Permanent or dissolving stitches may be used. The two main techniques for correcting protruding ears are:

Ear Splinting – involves resetting the soft cartilage and using a splint to keep the ear in the new position. It’s used to treat babies under six months old.
Otoplasty or Pinnaplasty (pinning back the ears) – where the cartilage is remodeled to create the missing folds and position the ear closer to the head.

Age for Ear Plastic Surgery

This very straightforward procedure can be carried out on both adults and children who feel their lives are being negatively affected by the appearance of their ears. But, it is thought to be best performed after the ages of four or five, when the ears have stopped growing. None of the negative stereotypes associated with protruding or irregular shaped ears, will have been attached to the child. However, reshaping can be done at any age as per choice and will.

Good Candidates for the surgery include

Non-smokers
When a child’s ear cartilage is stable enough for correction (generally 5 year old child)
Healthy individuals who do not have any life-threatening illness or medical condition that can impair healing