Ear Surgery

Ear Surgery

Ear Correction surgery (Otoplasty or Pinnaplasty) is the surgical procedure used to alter the size or shape of a person’s ear and can be performed on one or both of the ears. Most commonly this procedure is performed on prominent ears. The majority of the ear is made up of cartilage, except for the ear lobe, which contains only skin and soft tissue. During the operation the cartilage is remodelled to correct any deformities in shape and in the case of prominent ears, close the angle of the ear to the face.

The operation is more commonly performed on children within the NHS, due to teasing and bullying from their peers, but within the private sector the majority of patients who undergo this procedure will be adults. The operation can be performed using either a general anaesthetic or a local anaesthetic, with or without sedation. The operation takes under two hours to complete. The scar is placed behind the ear and closed using sutures and glue. A head bandage is placed around the head and ears for approximately 7-10 days. Most patients will be medically fit to go home the same day.

Surgery to correct prominent ears is very successful, but there are several things you need to consider;
In some instances blood can collect under the skin, immediately after the operation. If this occurs you would need to go back to theatre and have the blood drained otherwise, there is a risk of developing a cauliflower ear.

Infection in the wounds and the ear is a risk which can occur after this procedure, but can be simply dealt with in the majority of cases with a short course of antibiotics.