Otoplasty (Ear Pinning)

Cosmetic surgery of the ear involves changing the shape of the cartilage in order to make them less prominent. The surgery can be extremely rewarding for the patient as the social pressures associated with being born with large ears are corrected. 

 

Who is a Candidate for Otoplasty?

The ideal candidate for an otoplasty is at least at the age when the ear is nearly the size of an adult ear. This is typically around 8 years old.  At this age, correcting the ear before excessive teasing occurs at school can be very helpful for the child. There is no upper age limit for otoplasty. The patient may require one or both ears to be corrected.

 

Individuals with prominent ears lack a definitive fold, the antihelical fold, that is normally seen just inside the outer rim of the ear. The lack of this fold makes the ear appear to extend away from the side of the head more than a normal distance. This “normal” distance is usually the width of an adult index finger. In other words, if the space behind the ear between the side of the head and the rim of the ear is wider than an adult index finger, than the ear may be improved through an Otoplasty.

Torn earlobes typically occur in one of two settings: 1) as the result of a sudden pulling of an earring with enough force that it tears through the skin and soft tissue or 2) after years of wearing heavy earrings that elongate the piercing hole and eventually pull through the bottom of the lobe.  In the setting of a sudden tear, the skin edges of the torn sides typically do not reattach but instead form a layer of skin on opposite sides of the tear. The result of both scenarios is a straight-line tear of the lobe that needs to be reattached with a minor surgical procedure.