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Ear Surgery (Otoplasty)
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| �Ear surgery or otoplasty procedures
and information. View patient before and after pictures of
otoplasty. Contact a plastic surgeon in your area today. |
 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. This surgery is most often performed
on children between the ages of 5 and 14.
If you're considering otoplasty, the following information
will provide you with a good introduction to the procedure.
For more detailed information about how this procedure may
help you, we recommend that you consult a board-certified
plastic surgeon with experience in otoplasty.
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What are some of the most common benefits of this surgery?
What will happen at the initial consultation?
How is this surgery performed?
How long does the surgery take?
Do I have to stay in the hospital?
Will the operation affect my hearing?
Will there be any visible scars?
What can I expect after surgery?
What is the recovery period like?
What is the long-term outcome like for most people?
Ideal candidate:
Alternatives:
Risks:
Costs:
Choosing a doctor:
Questions to ask your doctor:
Be sure to:
How do I finance this procedure?
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| What are some
of the most common benefits of this surgery? |
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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.
If you (or your child) are self-conscious about your
ears, and always keep them covered with your hair, then
this surgery can open up new possibilities for changing
your appearance and your body image. |
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| What will happen
at the initial consultation? |
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During the consultation, you and your
surgeon will discuss the changes that you would like
to make in your appearance. He/she will explain the
different options available to you, the procedure itself,
and its risks and limitations. He/she will also explain
the kind of anesthesia required, surgical facility,
and costs.
Your surgeon will ask for a complete medical history
and examine the structure of both ears. Even if only
one ear needs correction, surgery may still be recommended
on both ears to achieve the most natural, symmetrical
appearance.
Trust, based on realistic expectations and exacting
medical expertise, should develop during the initial
consultation. A positive attitude toward the surgery
is an important factor in all plastic surgery, but
it is especially critical when the patient is a child
or adolescent.
Be sure to ask all the questions you have about
the surgery, and ask to see photos of the doctor?s
recent patients, before and after surgery. Also ask
for, and follow up on, patient references. Learning
everything you can about your options, risks and benefits
is the key to making an informed decision. See Questions
to ask your doctor below.
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| How is this surgery
performed? |
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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. |
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| How long does
the surgery take? |
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Otoplasty generally takes about one to
two hours per ear. The length of the procedure depends
on the technique used and the amount of correction required.
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| Do I have to
stay in the hospital? |
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Probably not. The procedure is usually
performed in a surgical suite as an outpatient procedure.
You?ll be able to return home within a few hours of
the surgery. This sugery can be performed under local
anesthetic, such as that used by most dentists, although
most surgeons advise general anesthesia for young patients.
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| Will the operation
affect my hearing? |
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No. Only the outer ear is operated on,
not the middle or inner ear, where hearing takes place.
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| Will there be
any visible scars? |
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In most cases, no. The scars are hidden
behind the ear. However, if you are prone to scarring
problems such as keloids, you should discuss this with
your doctor before the procedure. |
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| What can I expect
after surgery? |
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Most doctors like to have the patient
wear a headband for a few weeks after surgery in order
to protect the surgical repair. If you can wear this
at work, then you can probably return to work quickly,
but you will need to discuss this issue with your doctor.
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| What is the recovery
period like? |
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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. |
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| What is the
long-term outcome like for most people? |
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The results are usually permanent, although
there is always some small amount of ?springing back?
of the ears due to the elastic recoil of the ear cartilage.
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| Ideal candidate: |
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- Child, aged four or older, or adult.
- In general good health.
- No history of scarring problems, such as keloids.
- Wanting to improve appearance.
- Realistic in expectations.
- Understand the limitations on activities required
for good healing.
- Able and willing to carefully follow the surgeon?s
after-care instructions.
The above is only a partial list of the criteria that
your surgeon will consider in determining whether or
not this procedure is appropriate for you. Be sure to
ask your surgeon if he / she considers you (or your
child) an ideal candidate for otoplasty. |
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| Alternatives: |
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- Wearing a headband or camouflaging the ears with
long hair.
- Accept the ears with their protruding shape.
- Consider additional plastic surgery along with
the otoplasty, to further improve the proportions
of the head and face.
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| Risks: |
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All surgery carries some risk of scarring,
bleeding, reaction to anesthesia and infection. The
health risks from these are relatively minor in this
surgery, but special care must be taken because infection
or collection of blood under the skin can deform the
ear cartilages. Rarely, a second procedure will be necessary,
or one of the nondissolving sutures (stitches) left
in the ear will work its way to the surface and have
to be removed. Serious complications are quite rare.
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| Costs: |
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Costs for this procedure vary, depending
on the doctor, the location, technique used and the
difficulty of the specific case. The national average
of 1999 surgeon fees for otoplasty was $2,437 (Source:
The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery).
Regional averages: New England states: $3,070; middle
Atlantic states: $2,343; north central states: $2,275;
south central states: $2,195; and mountain/Pacific states:
$2,437. These fees do not include anesthesia, operating
room facility, hospital stay and other related expenses.
The procedure is not usually covered by health insurance
policies, except for cases of injury.
Use our payment
calculator to see what your monthly payments might
be if you financed this procedure.
Apply
now |
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| Choosing a doctor: |
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| Questions to
ask your doctor: |
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- Are the desired results I described realistic?
- Where is the surgery performed? How long will
the procedure take?
- What kind of anesthesia is used?
- How much does it cost?
- What is your experience in performing this procedure?
(How long has he/she performed this procedure, and
how many he/she has performed in the past year?)
- What percentage of patients have had significant
complications? (The physician should disclose this
information to you.)
- Will you repeat or correct procedures if it does
not meet agreed upon goals? And if the procedure
must be repeated / corrected, will I be charged
again? (The physician should provide you with his/her
policy on this issue.)
- May I see "before and after" photos of recent
patients? The physician should provide many photos
of recent patients.
- May I have the names and contact information for
several recent otoplasty patients? (Follow up to
get first-hand information on the procedure and
the surgeon.)
- Could I observe the exact procedure I am considering
before I decide to have the surgery? (Either on
videotape or ask to view one in real life.)
- What should I expect post-operatively, in terms
of soreness, what to watch for, medication, bathing,
and level of activity?
- Who will be assisting during the surgery? What
are their qualifications? (Does the plastic surgeon
perform the entire surgery?)
- Have you ever had your malpractice insurance coverage
denied, revoked, suspended?
- Do you offer patient
financing?
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| Be sure to: |
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- Tell your doctor about any allergies you have
(to foods, drugs, environmental elements)
- Tell your doctor about all medications you are
taking (both prescription and non-prescription)
- Carefully follow any instructions your surgeon
gives you regarding eating and drinking, smoking,
and vitamins.
- Avoid aspirin and aspirin-containing medicines
for two weeks prior to surgery.
- Arrange for someone to drive you home after surgery.
The information on this web site is only intended
as an introduction to this procedure and should not
be used to determine whether you will have the procedure
performed nor as a guarantee of the result. The best
method of determining your options is to consult qualified
surgeons who are able to answer specific questions related
to your situation. |
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| How do I finance
this procedure? |
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Did you know that 29% of all Americans
have considered having an elective procedure? Of those,
60% would schedule a procedure immediately if financing
was available. With iEnhance's patient
financing options, money no longer has to be the
barrier between you and your new image. By filling out
our on-line
application you can qualify for a loan in as little
as 30 seconds. |
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