Category: ear reshaping | otoplasty

The Occurrence of Suture Extrusion in Otoplasty

Otoplasty is the most common ear reshaping procedure for prominent ears. Known as ear pinning, it achieves its result by bending the ear cartilage back into a better position and stabilizing them with sutures. In the short term it is the sutures that maintain the new ear position and a loss of their tension or Read More…

Plastic Surgery Case Study – Upper Ear Vertical Reduction

Background: Vertical reduction of the ear is an uncommon otoplasty procedure as it is infrequently requested. It is best known and used in the treatment of macrotia where the entire ear is very large and vertically long. Macrotia reduction most commonly uses a ‘high and low’ technique where the upper helix (high) and the earlobe Read More…

Plastic Surgery Case Study – Pediatric Reversal Otoplasty

Background: Otoplasty is the most form of ear reshaping surgery. Even though the term otoplasty is a general one it is typically associated with treating the protruding ear. The ear that sticks out is due to excessive conchal cartilage, lack of an adequate antihelical fold or both. Changing this undesired ear shape is done by Read More…

Plastic Surgery Case Study – Macrotia Reduction for Vertically Long Ears

Background: The most common aesthetic ear procedure is that of ear pinning. Known technically as otoplasty, the protruding ear is reshaped and sutured (pinned) back so that it aligns better with the side of the head. This traditional aesthetic ear procedure relies on cartilage manipulation/folding rather than actual tissue removal. Its effects are created by Read More…

Plastic Surgery Case Study – Macrotia Ear Reduction

Background: The embryology and development of the human ear is a marvel in not only its complexity but how well it works most of the time. It is created by the merging of six separate tissue segments (hillocks) in utero that create the recognizable ear that is a collection of various ridges and valleys. But Read More…

Simultaneous Stahl’s Ear and Constricted Ear Corrections

There are numerous types of congenital ear deformities. The constricted ear represents a tightness of the ear like a cinch around the outer helix of the ear which makes it smaller and often folded somewhat onto itself. The Stahl’s ear deformity, also known as a Vulcan or Spock ear, has a cartilage fold that can Read More…

Optimal Incision Locations for Otoplasty Surgery

Otoplasty is a relatively simple and effective procedure for reshaping the prominent ear. Cartilage bending/repositioning through sutures is the backbone of the operation with a minor role for cartilage excision/scoring. But the ability to do these maneuvers requires an incision and this is almost always placed on the back surface of the ear. While Read More…

Lop Ear Deformity Reconstruction with Rib Graft

The shape of the ear is incredibly complex and it is a miracle that the ear is properly formed as often as it does. But when it does not become adequately shaped there are many possibilities for its deformity. One such category of congenital ear deformity is that of the constricted ear. This is where Read More…

Otoplasty in the Long Ear (Macrotia)

Prominent ears are the most common reason for an aesthetic otoplasty correction. There are numerous reasons that one has ears that stick out too far from the absence of the antihelical fold, a large concha or combinations thereof. The surgical techniques used to treat prominent ears are based on creating a more defined antihelical fold, Read More…

Case Study – Otoplasty Reversal Using An Interpositional Metal Spacer

Background: Otoplasty for protruding ears is primarily done by cartilage reshaping/repositioning. Whether it is the placement of antihelical or concha-mastoid sutures, the ear is ‘pulled back or ‘pinned’ by cartilage manipulation. The use of these suture techniques is primarily an art and how many are used, placed and their degree of tightening is a Read More…