Otoplasty is a surgery designed to correct prominent, or sticking-out ears. This procedure can relieve children from psychological issues as well as problems at school related to the appearance of the ears. By bringing the ears closer to the skull and reconstituting the contours of the pinna, the surgery can offer a normal appearance of the ears for any individual concerned with the problem. Looking for a qualified surgeon of plastic surgery to perform your surgery ? Visit the contact page of Dr.Balti’s website to book an appointed or ask more details about the procedure.
When is ear surgery helpful ?
Otoplasty corrects ear malformations frequently associated with sticking-out ears. Usually, three types of malformations affect the ears :
- Excessively wide angle between the auricle of the ear and the skull.
- Hypertrophy of the ear’s concha : the overly large cartilage projects the ear forward.
- Folding anomalies of the antihelix which results in a flat appearance of the ear’s auricle.
Frequently, these malformations are associated, but they can also occur separately :
- Cartilage hypertrophy with normal contours and folds of the antihelix.
- Folding anomaly of the antihelix with no cartilage hypertrophy.
In both cases, malformations can be corrected with the appropriate surgical technique.
About the patient’s age
Otoplasty can be performed on children as well as adult men or women. Often, self-image and psychological issues start around the age of 6 to 8 for boys in school, which is when the surgery can be helpful. Girls can use their long hair to hide their ears if needed, which is why the surgery is usually requested at an older age for girls. Ear surgery can be considered by adults.
About the procedure
Ear surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure with a duration of 1 hour on average. Local anesthesia can be used to carry out the procedure, although patients might prefer general anesthesia. The correction of the cartilage and the folding anomaly is permanent, therefore there is no need to plan a second procedure.
