Otoplasty

What is Otoplasty?

Ear surgery, also known as otoplasty, in Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, corrects the shape or position of the ear. It also corrects birth defects of the ear, as well as malformation due to injury.

Am I a good candidate for otoplasty surgery?

Children, teenagers and adults are all candidates for otoplasty surgery. Children should be healthy, five years of age or older, and able to communicate their feelings about ear surgery. Teenagers and adults should also be healthy individuals who do not smoke, and have realistic expectations.

Otoplasty – Patient 118
A woman in her later 30’s who is bothered by prominence of her ears, especially the right ear. This has been bothering her for many years. On exam, her right ear projects 20 mm at the top of the ear and the left ear 16 mm vs a normal of 10-12 mm. Her antihelical fold is diminiehsed. She is shown before and again, 6 weeks after bilateral otoplasty, with a reshaping of her antihelical fold using the Dingman otoabrader to weaken the cartilage and Mustarde sutures.
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Otoplasty – Patient 117
A man in his early 40’s who is bothered by prominence of his ears. He has recently changed his hairstyle to shave his head now that his hear is thinning and feels that his ears are even more noticeable. He is shown before and 6 weeks after bilateral otoplasty at the hospital. His antihelical folds were created using the Dingman otoabrader to rasp the anterior perichondrium under the skin and weaken the cartilage to allow it to bend ( as I was taught by Dr. Reed Dingman during my plastic surgery residency at University of Michigan) , along with excision of a crescent of cartilage from the conchal bowl and suturing to bring the ears back. He is thrilled with the improvement and happy to have a normal appearance to his ears. Update: Our patient is now seen nearly 5 months after surgery. The redness has faded. His ears have a natural contour and are not longer prominent.
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Otoplasty – Patient 116
A man in his mid 30’s who is bothered by bilateral prominence of his ears. He has been bothred since he was younger and has been teased on occasion, especially when his hair is shorter On examination his right ear protrudes 2.8 cm at the midportion ( normal is 1.6-1.8 cm) and his left ear protrudes 2.6 cm. He has prominence of the conchal bowl and a diminished antehelical fold. He is shown just 6 weeks after bilateral otoplasty. Although the incisions are behind the ear, the cartilage is rasped under the skin to reshape it along the new fold and He has some mild discoloration of the skin on each ear which should continue to improve over the next few months as the healing progresses. He is already thrilled to have a normal appearance to his ears.
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Otoplasty – Patient 115
A man in his late 20’s who is bothered by a congenital deformity of his right ear. This does not fit completely into the category of Stahl’s ear because he does not have a third crus but has a similar overall outline and is most likely also a developmental deformity of hillock 4. He is shown before and again, 7 weeks after surgical correction in the office under local anesthesia. He is thrilled with the normal contour of his ear after surgery. The scar is placed just inside the helical rim and should continue to fade and improve over the next year or longer.
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Otoplasty – Patient 114
A man in his early 40’s who is bothered by prominent ears. He reports being teased when he was younger and being called “Elephant” and other names. He is finally at a point where he can take care of his ears. He is shown before and again, just 6 weeks after bilateral otoplasty. The cartilage was reshaped by a combination of rasping with a Dingman otoabrader ( designed by one of my professors at the University of Michigan, Dr. Reed DIngman) along with excision of excess conchal cartilage and sutures to reshape the ear. He is thrilled to have a normal appearance to his ears. There is still some mild redness from the healing process which should continue to fade with time.
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What should I expect during recovery?

The sutures, which are located behind the ear, are resorbable and do not need to be removed. Patients may experience bruising or itching around and under the bandages, though medication is prescribed to control any discomfort. It is important that bandages are not removed during the healing process to ensure optimal correction results.

How long do results last?

An otoplasty permanently corrects any imperfections of the ear.

“I saw 3 surgeons before meeting with Dr. Hall and by far he and his staff was the most compassionate, thorough, professional and helpful. Can’t say how pleased and comfortable he and his staff made me feel.”

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