Position your ears appropriately for your face.
Otoplasty, or ear surgery, is often done for three reasons:
Otoplasty is usually performed on children under 15 years old.
Often, parents and their children decide on otoplasty together, but want to wait until the child is fully grown. Fortunately, ears stop growing by age seven. We recommend children undergo otoplasty at five to seven years of age, certainly before first grade, because misshapen ears have been known to adversely affect self-esteem if not corrected early on.
Many adolescents and adults also opt to improve the shape and position of their ears, too. Facial plastic surgery specialists Ross A. Clevens, MD, FACS, and Renata Khelemsky, MD, can discuss with you, or you and your child, how otoplasty can help reposition prominent ears to achieve the appearance you desire.
What’s the ideal age for ear surgery? Hear Dr. Clevens explain.
Improve your appearance, improve your confidence.
Otoplasty is a self-esteem booster for patients, both adults and children, who opt for the surgery. While ear surgery does not improve the shape of the ears or impact hearing, it can improve:
For children, we recommend otoplasty before they enter kindergarten or first grade so that they can attend school with confidence.
What will not be helped by otoplasty?
Listen as Dr. Khelemsky explains why you should only need otoplasty performed once.
Traditional Otoplasty
Dr. Clevens and Dr. Khelemsky perform otoplasty alongside an anesthesiologist in a fully accredited Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) that exceeds the most stringent state and national accreditation standards, providing you the highest level of safety available. General or local anesthesia is used, depending on your preferences, and the surgery lasts about two to four hours.
The most common technique is for your surgeon to make an incision in the posterior area of the ear to access cartilage and sculpt it, remove part of it, or simply reposition it. This ensures the incision remains hidden. Your surgeon will tailor surgery based on your face and ears to determine the best techniques to use.
Incisionless Otoplasty
Dr. Clevens and Dr. Khelemsky have extensive experience with a procedure known as incisionless otoplasty. This unique procedure, performed under local anesthesia, allows the careful incisionless repair of misshapen ears. The procedure involves no stitches and offers a fast recovery, often with little to no bruising or swelling. Not all patients are candidates, so you can learn more during your otoplasty consultation and find out if the incisionless option is right for you.
Listen as Dr. Clevens explains incisionless otoplasty.
A quick recovery.
Within hours after an otoplasty, you’ll feel ready to go about your day. Small children are kept under medical observation for the duration of the general anesthesia. Your surgeon will place a bandage over your ears to ensure they maintain their new position and help speed recovery. After a few days, the bandage is swapped for a lighter one.
We recommend taking about a week off of school or work to fully heal and avoiding strenuous exercise for about a month.
Hear Dr. Khelemsky explain the otoplasty recovery process.
*Each patient is unique and individual results may vary.
*Each patient is unique and individual results may vary.
*Each patient is unique and individual results may vary.
Hear from one of our otoplasty patients.
“I flew from Savannah, GA to Melbourne, FL specifically for Dr. Clevens and his expertise. I actually cried the first time I saw my ears in post-op because they looked so great. It is very emotional and a life-changing experience when something that has held you back physically your whole life is no longer there to bully you. I wish that I could have gotten my ears done sooner.” –- rilever5, review on RealSelf
