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Ear Surgery
Otoplasty
in Bethesda Maryland - Washington DC Metro Area
Ear surgery, or otoplasty, is usually done to set prominent ears back closer to the head, or to change the shape or reduce the size of large ears.
How otoplasty can help you
If a child or adult has protruding ears, otoplasty can help. Also, 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.
When otoplasty is performed on children, it is usually delayed until the age of six or seven. Ears are almost fully grown by then, and the earlier the surgery the less teasing and ridicule the child will have to endure. Most surgeons recommend that parents stay alert to their child's feelings about protruding ears; don't insist on the surgery until your child wants the change. Children who feel uncomfortable about their ears and want the surgery are generally more cooperative during the process and happier with the outcome.
Your surgical consultation
Your surgeon will evaluate your general health, discuss the potential benefits of otoplasty, and recommend the most effective technique.
The surgery
Ear surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure in a hospital, a doctor's office-based surgical facility, or a freestanding surgery center.
If your child is young, your surgeon may recommend general anesthesia, so the child will sleep through the operation. For older children or adults, the surgeon may prefer to use local anesthesia, combined with a sedative, so you or your child will be awake but relaxed. No pain will be felt, just occasional tugging.
Ear surgery usually takes about two to three hours, although complicated procedures may take longer in the event of complex ear reconstruction.
In a typical otoplasty, the surgeon makes a small incision in the back of the ear to expose the ear cartilage. The cartilage is resculpted and bent back toward the head. Non-removable stitches may be used to help maintain the new shape. The technique involves an incision in the back of the ear. Skin is removed and stitches are used to fold the cartilage back on itself to reshape the ear without removing cartilage. Even when only one ear appears to protrude, surgery is usually performed on both ears for a better balance.