Ear Surgery
Otoplasty

An often-neglected area of cosmetic plastic surgery is the ears. From enlarged earring holes to torn earlobes to prominent ears that stick out from the sides of the head, ear deformities can cause changes in hairstyles and teasing by others. Ear surgery can achieve profound changes in your lifestyle.

I have often seen patients who have had a child pull an earring, or an earring gets caught in the sweater causing an enlarged hole or torn earlobe. This is easily corrected with a small 20 minute procedure under local anesthesia. It is nearly painless, and leaves stitches in for 5-7 days. You can re-pierce your ears in 6 weeks, but try to use pure gold posts, and avoid very heavy earrings. You can go to work the same day.

In women who have had ear piercing and developed keloid scars (thick balls of tissue either in front or behind the lobe), this can also be corrected in a similar manner. Special compression earrings need to be worn for 3-6 months following the procedure to reduce the chance of the scarring returning. It is sometimes insurance re-imburseable.

For prominent ears, or ears that stick out, wonderful techniques exist to reshape the ears and tuck them back against the sides of the head, most commonly referred to as Otoplasty. This procedure can be done under local anesthesia or with an anesthesiologist administering monitored sedation so you see and feel nothing. The procedure takes 1 + hours, and all sutures are behind the ear. Pain is minimal. A headband should be worn for the first 3 weeks following the procedure, and at night for a total of 3 months.

Prominent ear surgery can change one's life, especially children. I wait until they are 5 years old or above, but many of my patients are teens and adults. For young children, insurance sometimes covers part of the procedure, and it is done in the hospital. For teens and adults, it is done in our ambulatory surgery center. To be able to wear your hair short or pull it back can be liberating. Please do not be embarrassed to ask about this procedure on your visit.