Otoplasty – Who Should Have Ear Surgery
Otoplasty is a cosmetic surgery used to reshape the external ear. Otoplasty candidates opt for the surgery in the attempt to correct many different ear abnormalities including ears that flare out from the skull, over sized, asymmetrical, deformed or damaged ears, as well as microtic and absent organs. Otoplasty does not alter a person’s ability to hear; it is primarily preformed because the patient is dissatisfied with the appearance of their ears.
Ear reshaping surgery is often preformed because these organs tend to flare out from the head. This is due to an enlarged concha bowl which causes the organ to be overly prominent. This surgery is often referred to as ear pinning because following the surgery they appear to have been pinned back to the head. In reality, the surgeon makes an incision behind the organ and removes a small wedge of cartilage from the concha. The result is less prominent ears.
When someone feels they have over sized ears it is usually because they lack appropriate folding along the antihelix (the outer rim of the ear). The surgeon is able to reshape the antihelix by making precise and predetermined scratches on the front surface of the organ. These scratches weaken the cartilage allowing the surgeon to fold and reshape it appropriately through an incision made in the back.
