Otoplasty/Ear Pinning

“Oto” means ear in Latin, and “plasty” means shape. Therefore, Otoplasty means to shape the ear. 

The most common Otoplasty is often referred to as Ear Pinning. This procedure helps correct ears that stick out too far, ears that are prominent or not proportioned. This is a common procedure that can usually be done in the office with local anesthetic. 

An Otoplasty can improve the shape, position and the proportion of the ear which can have profound benefits to appearance and self esteem*.

During your consultation, Dr Haupt will discuss whether you are a good candidate for ear reshaping, or otoplasty. The goal of otoplasty is to surgically correct protruding or deformed ears.  What is important for successful otoplasty is that the ears be in proportion to the size and shape of the face and head.

There are several important factors that you will discuss with your doctor when deciding if this procedure is right for you:

  • Skin type
  • Ethnic background
  • Individual healing rates
  • Age

If you are considering ear reshaping for your child, it is important that you discuss this procedure and your child's overall health with your pediatrician. Timing is always an important consideration with ear reshaping for children. Having the procedure at a young age is best because the cartilage is very pliable and reshapes more easily. Also, a young child will experience psychological benefits from this cosmetic improvement in his or her face*.

 

 

FAQs

What are the risks of Otoplasty, “Ear Pinning’s?”

All surgeries have the standard risks of bleeding, infection, nerve damage, or unmet expectations. More specific to Otoplasty is under or over correcting the ear distance from the head. Most overcorrect slightly as there is usually some relaxation of the correction. Unfolding or recurrence of the prominence is probably the most common problem in the long run.

Who is a good candidate for an Otoplasty?

 Ear reshaping can be done for adults as well as for children. With adults, it is important to know that the ear is fully developed, and will not remold after surgery as easily as the softer cartilage that children have. The procedure is performed in our In Office Surgery suite under local and oral sedation; no general anesthesia is needed. The patient and family can actually see the changes and help in deciding the amount of correction.