Protruding ears, large ears, or “Dumbo ears” can be surgically corrected. Children with such ears are often the target of teasing or ridicule. This corrective surgery is known as “otoplasty”. An otoplasty does not change the function of the ear. Patients neither hear better nor worse after the procedure. The procedure will not change the frequency of middle ear infections, if they occur. Its purpose is purely to correct the anatomic deformity.
The procedure can be performed at any age after the ears have reached full size. Frequently, the procedure is done before the child enters first grade. At this point, the ear is large enough to perform the surgery but the child hasn’t usually had exposure to large numbers of other children at school who may make fun of the child’s abnormal ears. It is also beneficial to treat the child at this age because the cartilage is softer and therefore easier to reshape. But, an otoplasty can be performed in a teenager or an adult and sometimes adults have always been self-conscious about their ears but for whatever reason their parents did not have them undergo surgery when they were younger. Frequently, self-conscious patients, particularly females, may actually wear their hair in a way that it hides the protruding ears. These patients often change their hairstyle to expose their ears once the successful surgery has been performed and they are delighted that they are “finally” able to show their ears. These are generally very happy, satisfied patients.
Evaluation
Evaluation is done by a surgeon (such as those in our practice) with expertise in otoplasty who evaluates and examines patient; in particular, examining their external ears.
Your First Visit
Potential otoplasty patients (or their parents, in the case of a child) will be asked questions about overall health, their goals for surgery, and psychological impact of the protruding ears. The patient will be examined by the doctor who looks at the ears to determine exactly how they differ from “normal” ears. The surgeon also feels the ears to see how strong or weak the cartilage is. Photographs are taken for surgical planning and to be able to compare the “before” and “after” appearance of the ears.
Ideal Candidates
The best candidates for otoplasty are children approximately age 5 or over. These patients (or their parents) have realistic expectations, desire correction of the ear deformity, and the patient has otherwise good health.
The Surgery
Otoplasty is the surgical treatment to correct an enlarged or protruding ear. The surgery is almost always done as an outpatient unless a patient has other medical problems. Children have surgery under general anesthesia whereas an adult can have the procedure under local, local with sedation, or a general anesthetic. The shape of the ear is defined by the cartilage, in the same way that the shape of a tent is defined by the tent poles. Changing the number, size, and location of tent poles changes the shape of a tent, in the same way that changing the shape of the cartilage in the ear changes its shape. The general principle of otoplasty is that the skin is lifted off of the cartilage, the cartilage is reshaped and/or repositioned, and then the skin is replaced.
Recovery and results
Following otoplasty, a bandage is usually placed which is kept in position for a period of time based on surgeon preference. The bandage is removed in the office.