San Diego Ear Surgery

Ear surgery is technically called as 'Otoplasty' which is usually performed to set back closer to the head or to reduce the size of large ears.

The Procedure

A small incision is made in the back of the ear to expose the ear cartilage. Then the cartilage is sculpted and bended back towards the head. Usually a larger piece of cartilage is removed to provide a natural-looking fold when the surgery is complete.

The patients' head is wrapped in a bulky bandage immediately after the surgery to help in best healing. There may be a little ache for a few days which can be treated with medication.

Other ear problems which can be corrected through surgery are:

1. Lop ear: The tip seems to fold down and forward.


2. Cupped ear: a very small ear.


3. Shell ear: The curve in the outer rim as well as the natural folds and creases are missing.


4. Large or stretched earlobes, or lobes with large creases and wrinkles, certain types of hearing loss, tumors can even be treated with surgery.


5. New ears for those who are born without them or lost them through injury can be built.

The complications in ear surgery is very minor which is explained as follows:

1. Blood clot on the ear: It is usually dissolved naturally and can be drawn out with a needle.


2. Infection in the cartilage: This might cause a scar tissue formation but can be treated with antibiotics. Very rarely surgery may be performed to drain the infected area.

In most of the cases, a faint scar may be formed as a result of the surgery, which fades in time.