Otoplasty: Ear Pinning Techniques

People who have ears that noticeably stick out from the head are often the target of a number of jokes. This can cause patients, especially children and teens, to feel self conscious about their appearance. Fortunately, there is a cosmetic surgical technique, called otoplasty or ear pinning surgery, that can make the ears lay closer to the side of the head, thus reducing their prominence. In fact, otoplasty is the most common cosmetic surgical procedure performed on pediatric patients. The surgeons at Jefferson Plastic Surgery have performed many otoplasty procedures on children and adults. To learn more about the ear pinning technique, and who makes a good candidate for the procedure, contact our Philadelphia, PA practice today.

What Causes Prominent Ears?

Prominent ears are exclusively the result of heredity, rather than due to illness or injury. The condition affects approximately 1 percent to 2 percent of the population, most of whom are children. Protruding ears can occur on both or just one ear, and are a result of malformed or missing cartilage during fetal development. Interestingly, about one-third of children with prominent ears are born with ears that appear normal, but become prominent within the first three months of life.

Conservative Management

In infants up to six months of age, the cartilage is still soft enough that prominent ears can be treated with splints to hold the ears closer to the head. If the cartilage has become too rigid to be properly treated with splints, surgery is recommended, which can be performed on children as young as five years of age.

Surgical Technique

Otoplasty procedures can be performed with just a local anesthesia for adults. Although general anesthesia is usually preferred for younger pediatric patients, the procedure can safely be performed with a local anesthesia on children as young as five years of age.

There are several surgical techniques that can be used, depending on the shape of the ears, how much they stick out, and the condition of the cartilage. The most common technique involves an incision made along the curve of the back of the ear, where it meets the head. Excess cartilage is then removed to bring the ears closer in to the head. Patients will have a very small scar behind the ear.

Another technique, which punctures the front of the ear in two or three small locations along the anti-helical fold. A series of internal sutures are then made and threaded together in order to reshape the ear. The advantage of this incisionless technique is that it does not remove any exterior cartilage, so there will only be two or three small puncture sites, rather than an incision scar along the back of the ear. It also spares the outer cartilage of the ear.

The truth is that people with prominent ears are often very self-conscious about their appearance. This can be even more difficult for children, who may be bullied about their ears. Fortunately, there is a technique to correct the problem that can be done quickly with almost no down time.