Ear Surgery: Otoplasty

Otoplasty, also known as ‘ear pinning’, is a procedure usually done to set prominent ears back closer to the head or to reduce the size of large ears. The operation is commonly performed on children after the age of four. Ears are almost fully grown by age four, and the surgery may minimize the amount of teasing a child may have to endure. The surgery is also performed on adults. Even when only one ear appears to protrude, surgery may be performed on both ears for better symmetry. Besides protruding ears, there are a variety of other ear problems that can be helped with surgery.

The surgery generally involves a small incision on the back of the ear to expose the ear cartilage and non-removable stitches may be used to help achieve and maintain the new shape. In most cases, ear surgery will leave a faint scar in the back of the ear that will fade with time.

The operation may be performed:

• Under local or general anesthesia.
• In one and a half hours depending upon the surgical plan.

Children will generally require a bulky bandage immediately following surgery for 3 to 5 days. Stitches usually will dissolve in approximately one week.

Related Resources

• Otoplasty - American Society of Plastic Surgeons