Ear pinning, or otoplasty, is a surgical procedure to correct a prominent ear deformity. This is an ear deformity where the ears stick out more than typical. Prominent ears can be a major source of embarrassment or teasing in school aged children. Surgery is usually performed after about the age of 8 years old, because children don’t seem to notice the problem earlier than that. The ear has typically achieved full adult growth by this age. We also have patients that never sought treatment as children, but desire correction as adults. Otoplasty restores self-confidence and brings great satisfaction to our patients in Beverly Hills.
Surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure in our Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Center. In some cases, a small incision will be needed on the front of the ear, otherwise, nearly all of the scars are placed behind the ear, so that they are well hidden, and others will not be able to tell that you had surgery. A small amount of skin is removed from this area in the back of the ear. The ear cartilage is reshaped by scoring and placing permanent sutures in the cartilage, and possibly by removing some cartilage, depending on the extent of the deformity.
You will need to wear a head dressing for about a week. Afterwards, you will need to wear a headband, or sweatband, at night, to maintain the results. The ears will stay slightly red for several months after surgery and will be somewhat more sensitive to changes in temperature. As with any surgery, there are some risks involved; these risks include bleeding, infection, ear asymmetry, and recurrence of the prominence due to suture failure. Overall, otoplasty ear pinning is a well tolerated procedure in Los Angeles.