Adult candidates for otoplasty have often spent their lives feeling self-conscious about their appearance, sometimes camouflaging their ears with hairstyles and avoiding short or pulled-back hairstyles.

How is otoplasty performed?
In patients with protruding ears, otoplasty usually involves an elliptical-shaped incision in the cartilage behind the ear. After making this incision, the surgeon will shave, flatten, fold, or otherwise manipulate the cartilage according to the patient’s anatomy, to achieve a new shape and/or position of the external ear. Fine sutures are placed to hold the ears’ new position during healing. Compressive dressings are then applied to both protect the surgical site and to help hold the ears’ new shape during recovery. Scar lines are located behind the ear and are not visible after recovery.