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Are you or your child bothered by large or prominent ears? Otoplasty with board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Gunnar Thors is a safe, effective procedure to bring protruding ears closer to the head and restore a more normal ear proportions. Dr. Thors is experienced in ear pinning for adults and children as young as 5 years of age.
As with most paired structures of our body, ears are never exactly alike. If the asymmetry is significant, however, it may call attention to itself, if only as a concern to the affected individual. Significant deformities and protrusions can be improved with surgical techniques designed to bring ears into more balanced and natural proportions.
Otoplasty, also called ear pinning surgery, repositions the ears to restore a more balanced, natural appearance. This procedure can improve your appearance by:
Having more proportional ears can enhance one’s overall appearance, improving self-confidence. Otoplasty can also help negate social stigma of having protruding ears and allow you to wear certain hairstyles with greater comfort and confidence.
Ear deformities are usually present at birth and can take many forms, including complete or partial failure of ear development, abnormal ear contours, and outward protrusion. Children may become self-conscious about their protruding ears. They may suffer teasing and name-calling with resulting social embarrassment. This may impact their self-confidence and future social development.
With an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon, otoplasty can be safely and effectively performed on children as young as 5 or 6 years of age, after the ears have fully developed.
A standard otoplasty can be performed using general or local anesthesia, depending on the age and comfort level of the individual. Incisions are made in the back of the ear to access the ear cartilage. Excess ear cartilage is trimmed, contoured and fixed with sutures to hold the new shape in place until fully healed. The patient wears a protective headband over the ears initially and at night.
During initial recovery, we recommend that the patient refrain from contact sports, or any activities that might disrupt healing. After that, it is suggested that the ears are protected during sleep for the first 3 months.
During your consultation, Dr. Thors will answer your questions about the procedure and explain what you or your child might expect with surgery, recovery, and final outcome. As a board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Thors always strives to provide the safe, effective solutions that achieve the best possible result for each patient.