Otoplasty to Enhance the Appearance of Your Ears

Protruding or misshapen ears can be corrected with a cosmetic facial surgery medically referred to as otoplasty. Also known as ear pinning, otoplasty can reshape and reposition the ears for a more symmetrical, balanced appearance. Adults and children as young as five years old can undergo otoplasty, helping patients of virtually any age feel more comfortable about how they look. If you are interested in otoplasty for your child or yourself, Dr. Oren Lerman in Manhattan, NY, can answer all of your questions about  ear pinning surgery and help you decide if the procedure is right for you.

Evaluation and Candidacy

During a consultation, Dr. Lerman will review your medical history and evaluate the anatomy of your ears. He will review with you the specifics of the procedure and your expected outcomes. Otoplasty can treat a range of ear conditions, including:

• Disproportionately large ears
• Misshapen ears
• Protruding ears
• Overdeveloped or underdeveloped ear cartilage

A patient’s ear should be developed before undergoing surgery. As such, it is typically required that our young patients be at least five years old.

Otoplasty Benefits

Otoplasty offers a number of benefits, making this procedure an attractive option for patients with concerns about the size and shape of their ears. Otoplasty is known to:

• Correct a wide range of cosmetic ear imperfections
• Enhance a patient’s confidence in their appearance
• Provide natural-looking results
• Result in negligible scarring
• Have little risk for complications
• Include a short recovery period of about one week

Otoplasty can address a range of aesthetic imperfections, provide natural-looking results, and has little risk and downtime.

The Otoplasty Procedure

Otoplasty is as an outpatient procedure that, depending on the nature of your procedure and your age, may be performed under local or general anesthesia. There are a few otoplasty surgical methods, each designed to treat a particular ear malformation.

Ear pinning is the most commonly performed type of otoplasty. This involves making an incision hidden behind the ear where the base of the ear meets the head. Through this incision, excess cartilage may be removed or folded, and the tissue is carefully sutured to position the ear closer to the side of the head.

Another otoplasty approach is ear reduction surgery, which can include earlobe reduction. During this surgery, Dr. Lerman will excise excess cartilage and skin, and reshape the ear to a smaller, more balanced size. Some patients may undergo reduction surgery as a single procedure, but it is often performed in conjunction with ear pinning.

Finally, for patients with underdeveloped ear cartilage and a smaller ear size, a tissue graft can result in larger, more proportionate ears.

Otoplasty Healing and Aftercare

Patients can expect mild discomfort following surgery that can be controlled with an over-the-counter pain medication, or a prescription. To alleviate inflammation and promote healing, patients should sleep with their head elevated and wear a bandage over the ears. About one week after the procedure, patients will return to our office to have the sutures taken out. When the sutures and bandage are removed, patients will be able to see the final results of their otoplasty procedure.

Schedule Your Consultation

If you have ears that are too small, large, or protruding, call (212) 434-6980, or send a message to Dr. Lerman about otoplasty today. This procedure can help you or your child achieve improved facial symmetry in a short period of time.