Prominent ear correction or otoplasty is a surgical procedure designed to improve the appearance of your ears. Your ears are made of skin and cartilage. In some people, their cartilage doesn’t fold as much as it should and, as a result, the ears are prominent or awkwardly shaped. Some doctors even refer to the problem as “bat ears,” although thankfully that term is going out of vogue in more recent times. Prominent ears can be a source of embarrassment and teasing, especially in school-aged children.

A/Prof Damian Marucci performs otoplasty in Sydney, serving Miranda, Kogarah and all surrounding areas. He works with patients of all ages to reshape or resize the ears, bringing them into better proportion with the rest of the facial features.

What Can Otoplasty Fix?

Otoplasty can treat the following concerns:

• Unusually large ears
• Abnormal ear shape, position or proportion
• A congenital defect or deformity in the ear’s structures
• Misshapen ears caused by a traumatic injury

Note that cosmetic ear surgery does not affect hearing.

Otoplasty in Children

As mentioned, Dr. Marucci can treat young patients that are suffering low self-esteem or embarrassment due to the appearance of their ears. This is one of the few plastic surgery procedures appropriate for children, as it can save them from years of teasing and ridicule because of their looks.

When working with children, it’s important to ensure their ear cartilage is stable enough for surgical correction (this usually happens by age 5). It’s also important that young patients are cooperative and able to follow the surgeon’s instructions, including pre- and post-operative instructions. The child should be able to voice their desire for surgery and communicate their feelings clearly. Meeting these criteria makes the entire operation and recovery go smoothly and the outcomes are more likely to be satisfactory to the patient.

Otoplasty Procedure Details

Surgery to correct prominent ears is performed under general anaesthesia at a hospital or medical centre in Sydney. Usually both ears are treated during the same operation, but Dr. Marucci can treat only one ear if needed.

Otoplasty involves making an incision in the groove behind the ear, where it can be easily hidden in the natural creases of the skin. Sometimes an incision is needed on the front of the ear, and created in the natural folds of skin. Our Sydney otoplasty surgeon, Dr. Marucci, reshapes the cartilage as needed. Depending on the specific needs of the patient, he can modify the structures of the ear, such as the antihelical fold or the conchal bowl, by removing, adding or repositioning cartilage and securing it with sutures. The incisions are then closed with external sutures.

Patients are placed in a head bandage for a week. After that, patients are strongly advised to wear a headband over their ears day and night for another week, and then just at night for a few weeks after that.

Surgery for prominent ears can be extremely satisfying for both the patient and the surgeon. The results are usually excellent and patients are able to get back to their normal lives quickly.

Consult with Our Sydney Otoplasty Surgeon

For more details about otoplasty, please call or email A/Prof Damian Marucci today. He would be happy to sit down with you to discuss the procedure and recovery.