No one wants their lovely nieces and nephews to be teased or called “Dumbo ears!” because their ears are large. Prominent or protruding ears are not uncommon. Some children are born with larger ears, and some have extra cartilage in the ears and a lack of shaping of the ears’ cartilage may cause the ears to stick out too much.

Otoplasty, or ear pinning, is a surgical procedure to help bring the ears closer to the head, reducing the size of the ear and restoring a more natural contour. The child’s ear size needs to be matured and developed prior to surgery, but otoplasty can be performed at as young as ages five or six.  In fact, correction is frequently performed prior to school to help eliminate potential psychological trauma from teasing or bullying.

Ostoplasty is an outpatient procedure done under general anesthesia with special postoperative dressings and headband. Scars are usually hidden in a natural ear crease. Like all surgeries, there are risks and recovery time.
 
The benefits of long-lasting ear reshaping to help eliminate potential psychological trauma should be a true consideration for appropriate candidates.

Photo: Arvind Balaraman
Published: November 6, 2012