Ear Shaping

“Beauty Through Mastery” Serving Miami, Boca Raton, Florida and surrounding areas

The ears are an important aesthetic component of the face. Large or protruding ears are not uncommon, and may be particularly bothersome. This may cause some men and women to be self-conscious or uncomfortable about their appearance.

The cause of large or protruding ears is usually due to excessive cartilage, or the way the cartilage is shaped. Ear surgery, or otoplasty is a surgery designed to correct large, or excessively protruding ears. This technique is concealed through a small incision on the back of the ear. Through an incision on the back of the ear, the excess cartilage can be removed, and the ear cartilage can be reshaped.

Ear Shaping for Adults

Although ear shaping is most often performed on children it is a procedure that can be done on adults, as well. For adults this surgery can usually be performed at any age.

Ear Shaping for Children

For children, this surgery can usually be performed as early as ages 5-7 with the goal of achieving correction prior to, or at the beginning of formal schooling.

Who is a Candidate for Otoplasty?

In general, the middle portion of the ear normally projects 1.5 to 1.8 cm from the head. If our ears protrude more than this, you may be a candidate for correction with otoplasty. In addition, if you feel self-conscious about your ears, or you find yourself frequently attempting to cover your ears, you may want to consider otoplasty. Otoplasty can successfully reposition and reshape the ears to a normal range.
In your initial consultation with Dr. James Stuzin, your ears will be evaluated, and your concerns and goals will be discussed thoroughly. Dr. Stuzin will address your concerns and discuss the correction that can be achieved with surgery.

The Procedure and Recovery

The otoplasty procedure is performed in our state of the art operating facility. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia by a board-certified anesthesiologist. General anesthesia facilitates comfort, sterile technique, and proper positioning required for successful surgery. It also allows patients to have a more comfortable experience.

During surgery, a small incision is made on the back of the ear to access the ear cartilage. Dr. Stuzin utilizes a combination of cartilage resection, cartilage scoring, and suture shaping techniques to achieve the optimal shape to the ear and correct the irregularities that are particularly bothersome to the patient. The otoplasty procedure may take between 1.5 to 3 hours, and the amount of time usually correlates with the degree of the irregularity.*

After surgery, patients usually spend about 1.5 hours with a dedicated nurse in the recovery room until they are fully awake. A dressing is placed over the ears to protect the ears during healing. This dressing is usually removed between 5 – 7 days. All of the sutures that are used are dissolvable and do not require removal. After the dressing is removed, a comfortable headband with cotton is recommended during sleep for two additional weeks following dressing removal. This headband helps protect the ears during sleep and prevents them from accidentally flipping forward.*
It is not unusual for the ears to appear swollen or slightly bruised for 7-14 days. Exercise or aerobic activity may resume at 3 weeks. However, contact sports are prohibited until 6 weeks after surgery.*

Is Otoplasty Painful?

Otoplasty is typically not painful. If soreness is experienced in the first few days after surgery, you will have a prescription pain medication. Soreness may be experienced if the ears are bumped in the first few weeks after surgery.*

If you are considering ear reshaping surgery, we encourage you to set up a consultation with Dr. James Stuzin to discuss your options.

To discover how otoplasty can improve your appearance, confidence, and total outlook on life please call our office today 305.854.8828 to schedule your confidential consultation with Dr. James Stuzin.

*Results may vary. Consult with the experienced plastic surgeons at the Institute of Aesthetic Medicine to see if you are a good candidate.

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