Otoplasty

For a patient with larger or protruding back ears, there are so many wonderful benefits from a New York City Otoplasty, including:

• Can be performed at almost any age  (after 6 years of age)
• Correcting prominent ears
• Increased self-confidence
• More natural facial appearance
• Results are permanent
• Treatment is safe

At our practice, we believe the best candidates for an Otoplasty in New York City are those who are:

• At least 6 years old
• In fairly good health
• Non-smokers
• Realistic with their expectations about the procedure and results
• Uncomfortable with the appearance of their ears

On the day of your Otoplasty procedure, you will arrive at the surgical clinic and meet with Dr. Paul to review the procedure and ensure all your questions are answered. We will then mark the incision sites and explain the anesthesia process. After the anesthesia has taken effect, our surgical team will make incisions in the natural folds behind the ears. Depending on the type of Otoplasty being performed, cartilage may be removed, reshaped, or repositioned.

Ear lobe repair:

• Earlobe repair does not involve any cartilage reshaping and is solely a correction of the soft tissue of the ear lobe.
• Repair is often done awake with local anesthesia, though may be performed in combination with other procedures in the operating room.
• Patients are given local anesthesia and sterile prep
• Sutures are placed that are removed in 10 days
• Re-piercing may occur 6 weeks after the date of closure

Otoplasty:

• Otoplasty to change prominent ears is often performed in the operating room
• While the phrase ‘ear pinning’ is commonly used, the reality of the procedure is quite different and involves no pins. Dr. Paul performs an otoplasty procedure by sculpting ear cartilage into a more appealing shape with sutures, which creates natural-looking results that do not showcase any signs of repair or modification.
• If you are interested in external ear surgery, Dr. Paul will thoroughly explain the best options for the correction of your specific concern.

The procedure typically takes 1-2 hours to complete, after which the incisions are closed with sutures, and gauze is applied to protect the area.

After Otoplasty, we advise our patients to protect their ears with a soft headband. After the procedure is complete, you will be monitored by our medical team for a short time to ensure that you are recovering well from the anesthesia. Once they are confident that you are stable, you can return home with a detailed list of post-operative care instructions to follow. It is essential to arrange for someone to drive you home and stay with you for 24 hours after surgery.

You should expect mild discomfort, which can be managed with prescription or over-the-counter medications. In general, patients require 7-10 days for complete recovery from their New York City Otoplasty. Our skilled team will provide further details about your recovery process to you when your surgery is complete.