When your ears are too large, protruding, or asymmetrical, they can pull attention from the rest of your face. Children, in particular, often suffer from considerable emotional difficulty because of protruding ears. Ear surgery, also known as otoplasty, can reshape your ears.
Ear Surgery
The Erickson Difference
Dr. Erickson understands the impact a pair of overly protruding or asymmetrical ears can have on your self-esteem and confidence. Children with protruding ears are often subjected to bullying from their peers, leading to issues with confidence and mental health. Dr. Erickson listens to your concerns, curates personalized surgical plans, and supports you throughout the surgical process and recovery, ensuring you feel safe and comfortable.
What is Ear Surgery?
Ear surgery, also known as otoplasty, is a type of plastic surgery that can improve the appearance of your ears. This procedure is extremely common among individuals with protruding ears but can also treat misshapen or injured ears. Ear surgery can set prominent ears back closer to the head, reduce the size of large ears, and repair congenital defects in the ear structure, such as microtia. The goal is to create a natural-looking ear shape that compliments your facial features.
Goals of Ear Surgery:
- Reshaping the ears to improve overall facial contours
- Altering the position of one or both ears to improve symmetry
- Pinning the ears back to correct overly protruding ears
- Reducing the side of overly large ears
- Repairing congenital ear defects and injuries
- Repairing torn, split, or damaged earlobes
Dr. Erickson’s Ear Surgery Technique
Dr. Erickson performs ear surgery at our accredited surgical facility under local anesthesia with sedation. In young patients, if the cartilage is still soft and pliable, Dr. Erickson can re-shape the ears using splints. But in older patients, he may create a small incision on the ears, following which he removes or re-positions the cartilage. The specific details of the ear surgery differ from one patient to the next — Dr. Erickson will discuss the details during your consultation.
Recovery After Ear Surgery
In the first few days after surgery, you may experience some pain and swelling. This is normal and can be managed with pain medications. You’ll also have a dressing over your ear that needs to be kept dry. Your doctor will give you specific instructions on how to care for your dressing. After a few days, the dressing will be removed, and you’ll be able to shower normally.
You’ll need to avoid getting water in your ear for around two weeks after surgery. Your doctor may give you a special earplug to wear while showering. The recovery process can vary from person to person, but most people can expect to return to their normal activities within a week or two. However, you’ll need to avoid strenuous activity for at least four weeks to give your incisions time to heal.
Candidates for Ear Surgery:
- Have overly large, misshapen, protruding, or deformed ears
- Have torn or damaged earlobes
- May feel self-conscious about the appearance of the ears
- Are over 5 years of age
- Are in good overall health
- Don’t have underlying medical conditions that preclude ear surgery
- Are nonsmokers or willing to stop smoking before and after the procedure
- Have realistic expectations from ear surgery
Consult Dr. Erickson
Dr. Cameron Erickson is a highly-acclaimed facial plastic surgeon specializing in cutting-edge surgical techniques. He believes in supporting his patients through every stage of the surgical process. His surgical patients also receive his personal phone number, thus ensuring they always have a direct line of communication with the surgeon. If you want to improve the appearance or contours of your ears, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Erickson.
