Ear Surgery

Ear surgery is usually done to set prominent ears back closer to the head or to reduce the size of large ears.

For the most part, the operation is done on children between the ages of 4 and 14. Ears are almost fully grown by age four, and the earlier the surgery, the less teasing and ridicule the child will have to endure. Ear surgery on adults is also possible, and there are generally no additional risks associated with ear surgery on an older patient. Besides protruding ears, there are a variety of other ear problems that can be helped with surgery. These include: "lop ear," when the tip seems to fold down and forward; "cupped ear," which is usually a very small ear; and "shell ear," when the curve in the outer rim, as well as the natural folds and creases, are missing. Surgery can also improve large or stretched earlobes, or lobes with large creases and wrinkles. Surgeons can even build new ears for those who were born without them or who lost them through injury.

Sometimes, however, the correction can leave a scar that's worse than the original problem.

 

Average Length

2 to 3 hours

 

Anesthesia

General

 

Inpatient/Outpatient

Usually outpatient

 

Risks

Infection of cartilage, excessive scarring, blood clot that may need to be drained, mismatched or artificial-looking ears and recurrence of the protrusion, requiring repeat surgery.

 

Recovery

Back to work or school in 5 to 7 days. Avoid strenuous activity and contact sports for 1 to 2 months. Fading and flattening of scars: 3 months to 2 years.

 

Am I Good Candidate?

The best candidates for ear surgery are healthy children and adults with large, protruding ears.