ear surgery (otoplasty) variations and techniques

There are numerous techniques in ear surgery depending on the deformity as well as the surgeon's experience. Most of the techniques that pin the ears back involve the placement of permanent sutures, though rasping techniques which thin the cartilage and allow the ear to fold are also employed occasionally.

shell ear or cup ear - When the bowl of the ear is prominent, sometimes referred to as "bowl ear" or "cup ear" it can be reduced by a cutting out some of the cartilage through an incision either on the front or back of the ear. In some cases, sutures which pull the ear back towards the base of the head may be all that is needed to correct a "cup ear".

earlobes - When the earlobe itself is prominent, it can be caused by large earlobes or by overly-rotated earlobes. If size is the issue, the earlobe can be reduced simply by cutting part of it out. If the earlobe prominence is from it being rotated too far from the head, this can be corrected by removing part of the earlobe, skin from the scalp, or by repositioning cartilage in the lower part of the ear.

large ears - Finally, the ear may be too large in its total dimensions and may require skin and cartilage resections followed by repositioning of the remaining tissue.

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