For Fly Away Ears

For many adults and children, having large ears leads to ridicule, poor adaptation to school, and/or extreme self-consciousness. Otoplasty is a procedure used to reduce large or protruding ears by setting the ears back closer to the head as well as molding, shaping and/or removing cartilage. Otoplasty can be performed at any age after the ears have reached (or nearly reached) their full size, which is around 5 to 6 years of age. 

Otoplasty can dramatically change a person’s appearance simply by making protruding ears look more normal. Often the problem is caused by an undeveloped middle fold of the ear. There may be other deformities as well, making it necessary to perform several procedures on the ear at the same time. Otoplasty can reshape the ears, reduce their size, make them more symmetrical, and/or position them closer to the head. 

How is this surgery performed?

This procedure generally involves reforming the cartilages that shape the ears, to pull them in, and reduce the protrusion. Sutures (stitches) are placed in the cartilage on the back side of the ear to maintain the new position. Incisions and the resulting scars are well concealed on the back of the ear, so that there is no visible scarring. 

Surgery begins with an incision just behind the ear, in the natural fold where the ear is joined to the head. The surgeon will then remove the necessary amounts of cartilage and skin required to achieve the right effect. In some cases, the surgeon will trim the cartilage, shaping it into a more desirable form and then pin the cartilage back with permanent sutures to secure the cartilage. In other instances, the surgeon will not remove any cartilage at all, using stitches to hold the cartilage permanently in place. 

In most cases, there are no visible scars after surgery. The scars are hidden behind the ear. 

Will the operation affect my hearing?

No. Only the outer ear is operated on, not the middle or inner ear, where hearing takes place. 

What is the recovery period like?

Most normal activities can be resumed within a few weeks, but you will need to be very careful to protect your ears for at least 6 weeks, or possibly even longer. In order to make sure that there is no infection or bleeding in the ear after the surgery, you must be very careful to protect the ears and keep them clean. In addition, bending the ears forward in the first few months after the surgery can destroy even the finest surgical result, so be very careful to follow all of your surgeon’s instructions.