Otoplasty

Otoplasty can improve the shape and positioning of your ears. It also can reduce the size of your ears if they are large in proportion to your other features.

Ear surgery often is recommended for children as they near total ear development at age 5 or 6. Correction of the ears prior to the child entering school helps eliminate potential psychological trauma from the teasing of classmates. Adults may also have their ears reshaped. As long as you are in good health, there is no upper age limit for this surgery.

The supporting tissue of the ears, called cartilage, is reshaped in order to position your ears closer to your head. This usually is accomplished through incisions placed behind the ears. Sutures are placed to create the anthelix (Mustarde sutures), to reposition the scapha (Furnas sutures) or to set back the ears to the head (helix-periosteal sutures). In certain cases there is  a need to score the antihelix from the front or to reduce the scapha. Subsequent scars will be concealed in the natural skin crease behind the ears.

After surgery, you may be instructed to wear gauze dressing or bandage for a few days or up to several weeks to ensure that your ears heal in their new, corrected position. You will need to avoid strenuous exercise and contact sports for several weeks.