Otoplasty

Otoplasty

Ears that are too prominent or “stick out” too far from the head can be the cause of great psychological distress. In most cases prominent ears are a result of heredity or congenital condition. There are other deformities of the ear that are of similar nature, including conditions which present variations of cartilage and contour, especially when both sides are involved. Sometimes correction may be required only on one side.

Ears are generally fully formed by the age of 4 or 5. Otoplasty can be performed on children between the ages of 5 and 14, if it is a major issue affecting them psychologically.

It is important for the surgeon and the patient to keep in mind, that what is considered a normal appearance for ears, can depend on racial or cultural norms. For example, smaller ears are often seen in people with African descent, while in Ireland and parts of Scotland, protruding ears are considered quite common and not considered to be objectionable. With this in mind, over-correction must be avoided.

One of the main advantages of Otoplasty in females, is that it allows the patient to wear their hair at any length without the need to cover up protruding ears. Ear correction can give the patient both a visual and also a psychological boost.

The operation has no adverse effects upon the hearing mechanism, which involves the internal ear structures.

What is Otoplasty?

Otoplasty is an external  ear surgery, carried out to reposition protruding ears closer to the head (reduce angle between the ear and skull), in some cases to reduce the size of large ears and recreate  the fold of the ears.

The goal of the surgery is to produce symmetrical, natural-looking ears with no obvious signs that surgery has been performed and minimal complications, in spite of patient differences in  age, gender, or magnitude of defect.

In performing the surgery several factors need to be taken into consideration including the current size and contour of the ears and the skin texture.

Indications and Contra-indications

Indications

• Prominent protruding ears with lack of fold
• Disproportionately large ears

Contra-indications

• Un-cooperative children not interested in the surgery
• People with bleeding disorders
• High expectation patient

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