All operations
Otoplasty (ear surgery)
Correcting prominent ears and repairing the earlobe and outer ear.
Otoplasty, or ear surgery, corrects ears that stand out from the head. Done in children before school age, it prevents the psychological burden of teasing.
What it corrects
- Prominent ears: ears that stand far out from the head
- Large ears
- Deformity of the outer ear from birth or after an injury
- A torn, stretched or missing earlobe
- Partial or complete absence of the outer ear
How the operation goes
The incision is made behind the ear, the cartilage is reshaped and fixed with sutures. It is done under local anaesthesia in adults and general anaesthesia in children, and takes about an hour. Because ear growth is nearly complete by the age of five or six, surgery is possible from that age.
Recovery
- A protective dressing is worn for the first week, then a headband at night for a few weeks
- School and work can be resumed within a week
- Contact sports are restricted for six weeks
- The scar stays behind the ear and is not visible