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Ear Reshaping
Ear reshaping is also known as pinnaplasty and otoplasty. Cadogan Clinic is proud to boast the expertise of David Gault who is the UK’s leading ear surgeon. He not only corrects the most unusual deformities but has also invented a device to treat these deformities at birth avoiding later surgery altogether.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ear Reshaping:
• What is the Size of a Normal Ear and Why Would Anyone Want Ear reshaping Surgery?
• Can Your Ears Be Made Smaller?
• Can Large Ear Lobes Be Reduced?
• Can Problems That Are a Result of Ear Piercing Be Corrected?
• What Happens During Ear Correction Surgery?
• What Kind of Anaesthetic is Required for the Ear Correction Surgery?
• What Happens After the Ear Reshaping Surgery?
What is the Size of a Normal Ear and Why Would Anyone Want Ear Reshaping Surgery?
Ear size, position and shape are important for facial harmony. The beauty of a face can certainly be enhanced by a perfect ear - small and neat and in the right position. This means that it is a long way from the mouth, with the top of the ear level with the eyebrow and the bottom level with the base of the nose. The perfect ear also slopes backwards at the same angle as the nose.
In women, the average adult ear is 59mm and the average male ear, 63mm. In boys, the ear length is 48mm at 6 months growing to 55mm at 5 years and 59mm at 10 years. The values are a little less for girls.
The ear is thus almost fully-grown at 10 years and so can often look large in teenagers until the head reaches full size - we literally do grow into our ears.
Thereafter, the ears remain much the same size until the age of 60 when they gradually enlarge particularly the lower part of the ear and the lobes. This is often most prevalent in men. Large ears can run in families, but in certain people only one ear is too big, sometimes because the blood supply to one side is more plentiful, and so growth is greater on that side. An individual’s ears are almost unique. The term “prominent” is normally used to mean ears which stick out, but the ears can also seem prominent because they are simply too large.
Many sufferers develop mannerisms and hairstyles to cover or compensate for their problem. Some won’t swim or go out in windy weather for fear that their ears will be revealed. Although surgery to pin back ears is quite widely available, surgery to reduce the size of the ear is less commonplace.
A deformed ear may be apparent at birth or soon after, or may be acquired later in life through trauma, piercing, surgery or cancer, for example. In the first year or two of life, many ear deformities can be corrected by moulding using Ear Buddies™ splints, avoiding teasing and surgery later.
Can Your Ears Be Made Smaller?
Occasionally one large ear becomes smaller, perhaps after an accident or because a tumour has been removed, for example, but after reconstructive surgery, it ends up looking the more attractive of the two, so the larger ear can be reduced in size to match.
In patients with neurofibromatosis, the ear is often enlarged and in the wrong place on the side of the head. Some lymph tissue growths can involve the ear and sometimes block the ear canal.
A number of techniques for reducing the size of the ear have been developed over recent years. Some of these work well, but at the risk of notching the rim of the ear.
The most successful technique uses an incision hidden in the folds of ear, usually just inside the rim. A crescent shaped piece of tissue is removed from the over-large area of the ear, exactly tailored to rebalance the relative sizes of the scaphal and conchal areas of the ear. Reductions of a centimetre in height are not uncommon.
Large ears that also stick out too much from the side of the head should not be corrected in one go, because the cartilage of the ear can twist and deform. The goals are best achieved in two separate procedures; the first to make the ears smaller and the second to set them back, separated by at least six months.
Can Large Ear Lobes Be Reduced?
Reduction of the size of large ear lobes is a common request. Normal ear lobes do not contain cartilage, and it is possible to excise a simple skin wedge to make them significantly smaller.
Normal sized ear lobes which stick out from the rest of the ear can also be addressed with this type of wedge-excision technique, and unlike the main part of the ear, the size and the position of the lobes can be corrected in one procedure.
This is relatively minor surgery, taking about half an hour per lobe. It would be unusual to use a general anaesthetic unless the patient was particularly apprehensive of local anaesthesia or unless the main part of the ear was being tackled at the same time. Combined ear and lobe reductions are perfectly feasible. An over-large lobe is common in patients in whom a giant naevus involves the ear.
Can Problems That Are a Result of Ear Piercing Be Corrected?
Ear piercing holes can elongate, particularly when heavy earrings are worn. This can eventually result in the ear lobe splitting. Incorporating the hole in the incision for an ear lobe reduction can eliminate an unattractive piercing.
What Happens During Ear Correction Surgery?
Ear correction surgery usually takes 45 minutes to an hour per ear. Anaesthetic can be local, twilight or general. The procedure can be performed on an out-patient, day case or overnight basis.
What Kind of Anaesthetic is Required?
Otoplasty can be performed under general, twilight or local anaesthesia. Local anaesthetic is especially good if you are very particular about how much the ears are pinned back, since you can sit up before the stitches are finally tied and look at the results.
It avoids the very small but real risk of general anaesthesia and the recovery time is much shorter - you can decide to stay in hospital just for the day, or to have out-patient surgery, also called walk-in, walk-out surgery. The local anaesthetic option is also the cheapest; the hospital fee is less and there is no anaesthetist’s fee.
What Happens After the Ear Reshaping Surgery?
A head bandage recommended for seven days (to prevent the ears being pushed forwards by the pillow). A head band can be worn in its place for those unable to wear a head bandage.
Otoplasty Consultants at Cadogan Clinic</h2>
For more information about ear reshaping surgery in London, or to book a consultation, please call 020 7901 8500 or fill in the form on this website and we will respond to you by email or phone.
