Do Your Ears Stick Out? We Can Help with an Otoplasty

Do you dislike the way your ears stick out? Are you tired of trying to hide them with your hair and hats? If so, consider an otoplasty, which can correct the problem permanently.

Otoplasties are straightforward procedures that can fix various ear imperfections. Keep reading as Joshua Goldberg, DO, FACOS, at Goldberg Facial Plastic Surgery in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, shares how an otoplasty can transform your or your child’s ears.

What’s an otoplasty?

Otoplasty is the term for any plastic surgery performed on the ears. One of the most common reasons we perform otoplasty is to pin back ears that stick out from the head.

You can also address other ear concerns with otoplasty, including:

• Shape 
• Size
• Symmetry
• Repairing the ears after injury 
• Correcting a previous otoplasty 
• Earlobe reshaping
• Earlobe repair

Otoplasties only change the external appearance of ears and don’t impact their functional abilities. There won’t be any differences in your hearing or eustachian tubes after surgery.

Can children and teenagers get otoplasties?

Children and teens often get otoplasties to get their ears pinned back and correct other ear concerns. To be a candidate, your child needs to have fully developed, adult-sized ears.

Usually, the earliest that happens is at age 4, but we can correct certain deformities, sometimes without surgery, in newborn babies. Contact us regardless of your child’s age, and we can determine the best timeline for your child’s otoplasty or other ear correction.

If you’re an adult, we can also pin back your ears if you don’t like how they stick out. Otoplasties can successfully treat candidates of any age with fully grown ears.

How do you get an otoplasty?

Before surgery, Dr. Goldberg consults with you to ensure you or your child is a good candidate for otoplasty. He shows you what you can realistically expect your ears to look like after surgery and recovery.

We typically perform otoplasties under twilight anesthesia. We numb the ear area locally, while you or your child is under sedation and in a relaxed and sleepy state.

To pin the ears back, Dr. Goldberg usually makes incisions at the back of the ear. He sometimes also needs to make discreet incisions at the inner ear crease or front of the ear, depending on the techniques used and whether he’s making additional corrections.

Ear pinning surgeries typically take up to two hours, although they can be longer if Dr. Goldberg performs other corrections or procedures concurrently. You can go home the same day as your surgery.

Bandages protect your ears for a few days to a week after surgery. You or your child needs to keep any bandages and dressings clean, avoid sleeping on your side, and take medication to reduce pain and swelling.

Dr. Goldberg advises you on when you can get your dressings and stitches removed and return to exercise. Generally, you see the full results from ear surgery soon after we remove the dressings.

Instead of battling insecurities about ears that stick out, consider a simple and effective otoplasty surgery. Contact us by phone or online today to get started.