Unhappy with the appearance of your ears? Find out how otoplasty can help

Pinnaplasty or ear pinning involves bringing the ears closer to the head. If your ears prominently stick out from the side of your head, you may choose to get this procedure. During ear pinning surgery, doctors make small cuts behind each ear cartilage to reshape and fold them or remove parts of the cartilage to give your ears a shape that you are happy with.

Ear augmentation is for those who have small ears or ears that haven't fully developed. Although it is not possible to make your ears bigger without surgery, a plastic surgeon can perform otoplasty to increase the size of your outer ear.

Ear reduction is a type of otoplasty that surgeons use to resolve macrotia - abnormal enlargement of the auricle. When your ears are larger than usual, this is the type of otoplasty you may choose to reduce the size of your ears.

Regardless of how eager you are to have your ears pinned back or reshape your ears, it is vital to research the procedure and find the right plastic surgeon for you. You don't want to rush, make the wrong decisions, and potentially face negative consequences. 

When you are ready to proceed with cosmetic ear surgery, start by finding a board-certified plastic surgeon for otoplasty in your area. Board certification gives you a reasonable assurance that your doctor is highly trained in the area of ear corrections. Once you made your selection, call the office and schedule a consultation with your plastic surgeon. 

At the time of your appointment, your doctor will conduct a complete medical history review and collect all necessary information from you. Be sure to share all relevant information, including types and dates of past surgeries, medications you are taking, and current or past medical conditions. 

The surgeon will also examine your ears, discuss the risks and benefits of the procedure, and share with you how much the ear surgery will cost. We recommend asking plenty of questions. It is a good idea to make a list of any questions you want answers to in preparation for your consultation. This way, you can be sure you don't forget anything and have all your questions answered.  

By the end of the consultation, your doctor should be able to determine whether you are a good candidate for ear reconstruction surgery, and you should feel more prepared to take the next step.

Although otoplasty is generally an outpatient procedure, also called same-day or office-based surgery, it can take anywhere from sixty minutes to over three hours. The amount of time your surgeon will need to perform the ear reconstruction successfully depends on your case and procedure's complexity.

As part of the surgery, your doctor will give you some form of anesthesia or medication to keep you from feeling pain during the procedure. Most patients receive local anesthesia as a one-time injection to numb the area. It is, however, not uncommon to receive general anesthesia, which causes you to become unconscious during the procedure. 

Depending on the type of otoplasty you need, the plastic surgeon will use different surgical techniques. However, most otoplasty procedures involve doctors making a small incision either behind the ear or inside the ear folds, folding and shaping the ear cartilage, and closing the incision with stitches.

If you are apprehensive about incisions, scarless otoplasty - incisionless or no-incision otoplasty - may be the best fit for you. This method utilizes sutures that the doctor places discretely behind your ear to manipulate the ear cartilage to a different position. Unfortunately, incisonless otoplasty surgeries are not appropriate for major adjustments. They are typically used for children and teenagers needing minor changes.

While recovering from otoplasty is often faster than from other plastic surgical procedures, there are a few things to be mindful of to ensure your recovery goes smoothly. 

Although it may be tempting to show off your ears to the world immediately after surgery, you will have to be patient and wait a couple of weeks. Your doctor will place a dressing over the surgical site right after the procedure, which you will need to keep on for several days post-op.

While otoplasty aftercare is not overly complicated, there are a few additional steps you should take to ensure a speedy recovery.

• Do not smoke and avoid people who smoke around you for at least two weeks after otoplasty surgery. Smoking can cause poor healing and a slow recovery.
• If you see discharge coming out of your ears during the first few days after surgery, stay calm. It is not uncommon for the ears to drain a small amount of fluid. If you notice this happening, apply hydrogen peroxide with a cotton swab and clean the outer part of your ears.
• To minimize swelling, keep your head elevated at night while you sleep.
• As days pass, incisions may become itchy. Itchiness is a normal part of healing, do your best to avoid scratching them.

Don't be alarmed if you experience some side effects post-surgery. Many people notice redness, swelling, bruising, numbness around the surgical site, all of which are considered a normal part of otoplasty surgery recovery.