Prominent Ear Correction for Children

Prominence of the ears is a cause of social embarrassment and may be surgically corrected. The two commonest problems are the failure of the anti-helical fold in the ear to develop or of the bowl (conchae) of the ear is too large. The surgery can be undertaken either in childhood from the age of 6 years onwards or in adulthood. It may be undertaken either under general anaesthesia or local anaesthesia and is usually performed as a day-case procedure.

There are many different techniques described with the two most common being a posterior sutural correction and an anterior scoring technique. Alternative techniques are used to address specific areas such as large pendulous earlobes, excessively large conchal bowls or large upper portions of the ear.

Usually, Mr Sawyer will not operate on your child until the age of 6 years. The operation can be performed at either Spire Southampton or Bournemouth Nuffield hospital.

Your child is most likely to benefit from an otoplasty if one or more of the following conditions apply to them.

• Your child is self-conscious about the size or shape of their ears, and they have said this without any prompting from adults.

• Your child is being teased and this is causing them distress. It is important to consider your child’s personality. Some children react badly to even mild teasing. If their ears are only a little unusual, an otoplasty will not make much difference and the teasing may continue. It may be better to help their social skills so they can cope with teasing.

• Your child has unusually-shaped ears, ears that are large and stick out (‘bat ears’) or ears that are different from each other (asymmetry).

An otoplasty will not improve your child’s physical health. For this reason, the operation should be performed only if the aim is to improve their self-confidence and to make them more comfortable with their appearance.

Your child’s ears should have a better shape. Most children who have a successful otoplasty are more comfortable with their appearance.

Bulky bandages will be removed after 4 - 5 days, after which a headband will need to be worn at night for two weeks. You can expect to recover fully within two weeks. It is wise to avoid any activity or contact sports that may cause your ears to bend for at least 6 weeks.

Ear reshaping surgery is an operation that is designed to last a lifetime.