Patient Info
- Gender:
- Female
- Age:
- 15
- Surgeon:
- Dr. Inessa Fishman
Description
This 15-year-old woman was bothered by the “stuck out” appearance of her ears, and was teased about her ears. Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Inessa Fishman treated her with otoplasty or ear-shaping surgery to bring the ears closer to the head, and improve their shape. The patient is shown 4 months after treatment with an excellent outcome and great healing. While she is not comfortable sharing images of her face on social media, she loves her outcome and has cut her hair into a much shorter hairstyle, no longer feeling the need to cover her ears with her hair.
This patient’s otoplasty surgery involved trimming a small piece of cartilage at the concha (or seashell-shaped bowl of cartilage just behind the ear canal) to decrease the concha’s height and bring the ear closer to the head. Another part of the surgery focused on deepening the antihelical fold (or the Y-shaped fold of cartilage at the upper part of the ear) to bring the upper third of the ear closer to the head.
Most adults can have otoplasty surgery with the help of relaxing by-mouth medications, laughing gas, and injected numbing medications. Most teenagers and young children treated with otoplasty do best to have surgery with the help of general anesthesia (or being asleep in the operating room). This patient had her otoplasty surgery while asleep and comfortable in an outpatient surgery center, and had a great experience.
About Otoplasty Procedure
Prominent or “stuck-out” ears can be a source of peer ridicule and teasing both for adults and children. While protruding or misshapen ears may be corrected with non-surgical newborn correction, surgical correction is required for older children and adults. Our facial plastic surgeon Dr. Inessa Fishman performs otoplasty surgery to correct abnormally protruding or misshapen ears, treating both children and adults. Otoplasty commonly involves the shaping of the ear cartilage and tucking the ear closer to a more aesthetically pleasing position with the head and facial outline. Dr. Fishman does otoplasty surgery as a standalone procedure, or commonly combines it with rhinoplasty or blepharoplasty.