Ear Surgery

What is Ear Surgery?

Are you bothered by your ear shape or size? Perhaps your ears have always seemed disproportionate to your head and face, or your ears protrude outward. Ear surgery, or otoplasty, is a surgical procedure used to improve the proportion, shape, or position of the ear to help you look and feel your best.

This procedure can be used to reduce ear size, position ears closer to the head, or correct conditions such as:

  • “Shell ear” (the curve in the outer rim and natural folds and creases are missing)
  • “Lop ear” (the top appears to fold down and forward)
  • “Cupped ear” (the ear is very small)
  • Stretched or large earlobes
  • Wrinkled or creased lobes

Ear Surgery Testimonial

Lace's Story

“Coming here has shown me it’s not just about what others see when they look at you. The change it made to me inside and the confidence that this has given me has been life changing.”

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Who can Benefit from Ear Surgery?

Individuals who were born with a defect in their ear structure or have misshapen ears due to an injury can benefit from ear surgery. Children who are good candidates are five years or older, as this is when ear cartilage will be stable enough for correction. Teenagers and adults who are healthy and have a positive outlook on their procedure are often good candidates. For more information regarding this procedure and if it is right for you, please contact our office to schedule a consultation today.

The Procedure

Overall procedure steps will vary depending on the problem and ear surgery may be performed under local or general anesthesia. However, one frequently used method involves making a small incision in the back of your ear to expose the cartilage. The doctor then sculpts the cartilage, bending it back toward your head, or removes part of it to change the shape of your ear’s fold. Often non-removable stitches are used to help maintain the new shape.

Ear Surgery Recovery

Following your ear surgery, your head will be wrapped in a large bandage to help the ears heal and hold their new shape. Your ears may ache for a few days, but medication will help.

You should be up and around a few hours after surgery, and your bandages will be replaced by a lighter dressing within a few days. Your stitches should dissolve or be removed in a week, and if you are an adult, you should be able to return to work after about five days. Children should be ready for school after about seven days, though they must be careful to avoid playground activities that might bend or jar their ears. Ear surgery often leaves a faint scar behind the ear, but that fades with time.

State of the art Surgical Facility

Our operating facility is conveniently located on the sixth floor of the Exhibitor’s Building adjacent to the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our surgical facility is accredited by the AAAHC, or the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. This association is committed to improving quality care provided to patients by reviewing standards, performance, and safety of our facility.

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Contact Us Today

Are you interested in learning more about how ear surgery can benefit you or your child? If so, contact Plastic Surgery Associates in Grand Rapids, MI to schedule your consultation appointment.

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