Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery

Ear Pinning

What is ear pinning?

Ear surgery, or otoplasty, is a type of cosmetic plastic surgery procedure aimed at setting prominent ears closer to the head, or reducing the size of larger ears. However, there are other ear problems that can be helped with surgery, including:

lop ear - when the tip of the ear folds down and forward

cupped ear - a very small ear

shell ear - when the curve in the outer rim, as well as the natural folds and creases, are missing

large or stretched earlobes

lobes with large creases and wrinkles

Surgeons can even build new ears for those who were born without them or who lost them through injury.

Who are candidates for ear pinning?

The operation is usually performed on children between the ages of four and 14, however, ear surgery for adults does occur.

Complications commonly associated with ear pinning:

As with any operation, there are risks associated with surgery and specific complications associated with this procedure, including:

blood clots on the ears
infection in the cartilage, which can cause a formation of scar tissue

About the procedure:

Location options include:

surgeon's office-based surgical facility

outpatient surgery center

hospital outpatient

hospital inpatient

Anesthetic options include:

general anesthesia for children

local anesthesia, combined with a sedative (allows the patient to remain awake but relaxed) for adults

Probable length of procedure: several hours or longer

Short-term side effects of surgery: throbbing or aching in the ears.

This page was last updated on: March 21, 2008.

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