Otoplasty addresses structural abnormalities of the ear. Most often, this refers to protruding or abnormal appearing ears. A combination of cartilage sculpting and suture placement is used to create a more natural and symmetric appearance.
Problems with the ear lobe can also be addressed with plastic surgery. Dr. Novis frequently performs ear lobe reduction and surgery for torn or stretched ear lobes.
Otoplasty is surgery to address protruding or misshaped ears. “Ear pinning is a misnomer,” says Dr. Novis, “because the surgery does not pin down the ears at all. And in fact, that would give a very unnatural result. Otoplasty is a complex surgical procedure to address irregular bends and malformation in the ear cartilage and allow the ears to lie in a more natural position. This procedure is very technical, as bringing the ear too close to the head will result in a ‘telephone ear’ which can be as unnatural and distracting as the protruding ears themselves. Meticulous work with cartilage and suture leads to a natural appearing ear.”
Otoplasty surgery can be performed comfortably with the appropriate technique. Dr. Novis uses a specialized local anesthetic technique utilizing nerve blocks and a personally perfected mixture of numbing agents to allow for otoplasty to be performed comfortably without general anesthesia.
After otoplasty surgery, you will typically wear a soft band over your ears around the clock for one week and then an additional week just at bedtime. You should avoid strenuous physical activity or heavy lifting for 2 weeks after the procedure.
Incisionless otoplasty is a specialized technique utilizing carefully placed sutures underneath the skin behind the ear. This technique is for patients whose protruding ears are due to absence of the antihelical fold or main fold in the center of the ear. This technique is truly done with no incisions, which greatly speeds healing and recovery.