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Common Otoplasty Questions, Answered

Otoplasty is a surgical procedure that improves or corrects the shape, position, and proportion of the ears, including congenital and acquired ear deformities (PubMed Central; American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

What Is Otoplasty?

Otoplasty corrects the shape and position of the ears and can address congenital and acquired ear deformities (PubMed Central).

Ear surgery, or otoplasty, improves the ear’s shape, position, and proportion and can correct a birth defect of the ear structure (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

Ear deformities are usually congenital, but they can also be acquired later in life secondary to trauma or tumors (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

What Conditions Can Otoplasty Address?

Common conditions treated by otoplasty include prominent ears, constricted ears, lop ears, and Stahl ear deformity (PubMed Central).

Prominent ears are described as ears that stick out more than two centimeters from the side of the head, and this is the most common congenital ear deformity (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

Ear prominence usually results from an underdeveloped antihelical fold and/or increased conchal bowl depth (PubMed Central).

Cauliflower ear results from blood and/or fluid collection between the cartilage and skin, and the fluid can warp the bendable cartilage (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

Auricular deformities affect 5%–10% of the global population and can significantly impact psychological well-being, especially in children (PubMed Central).

Prominent ear is a common auricular malformation that can have long-term psychosocial consequences on affected individuals (PubMed).

How Does Otoplasty Correct Protruding Ears?

Correction of protruding ears uses surgical techniques to create or increase the antihelical fold and to reduce enlarged conchal cartilage (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

Incisions for otoplasty are generally made on the back of the ear, and front-of-ear incisions are made within folds when necessary to hide them (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

Internal, nonremovable sutures are used to create and secure the newly shaped cartilage in place (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

External stitches close the incision, and techniques are individualized to avoid distorting other structures and an unnatural pinned-back appearance (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

When the ear is permanently positioned closer to the head, surgical scars are hidden behind the ear or within the ear’s natural creases (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

What Are the Main Types of Otoplasty Techniques?

Otoplasty approaches can generally be divided into 2 main categories: cartilage cutting and cartilage sparing techniques (PubMed Central).

Around 200 otoplasty techniques have been described, including perichondroplasty, cartilage splitting, cartilage sparing, percutaneous, endoscopic, and incision-less techniques (PubMed Central).

Otoplasty remains the standard surgical corrective treatment for prominent ear, but the optimal technique has long been debated, with >200 methods described in the literature (PubMed).

Although hundreds of otoplasty techniques have been developed, no consensus exists regarding their objective effectiveness or long-term outcomes (PubMed Central).

The Mustardé technique uses conchoscaphal mattress sutures to recreate the antihelical fold and remains widely used, but risks suture pull-through in firm cartilage (PubMed Central).

The Furnas technique secured conchal cartilage to the mastoid periosteum to address deep conchal bowls (PubMed Central).

What Results Are Generally Visible After Otoplasty?

Ear surgery offers near immediate results for protruding ears, visible once dressings that support the new ear shape during initial healing are removed (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

In the review, the average preoperative mastoid-to-helical rim measurement was 27.1 mm and was reduced to 15.4 mm postoperatively (PubMed Central).

The review found that cartilage-sparing techniques, particularly Mustardé–Furnas and posterior approaches, effectively reduce ear prominence with low recurrence (2.8%) and revision rates (2.1%) (PubMed Central).

Individual results vary.

What Complications Have Been Reported?

In the meta-analysis, suture extrusion (5.4%) was the most common complication, with a pooled recurrence rate of 2.8% and revision rate of 2.1% (PubMed Central).

The review found an overall complication rate of 14.4%, with suture extrusion being the most common complication (PubMed Central).

Overall complication rates averaged 14.4%, with suture extrusion (5.4%) most common, followed by infection (2.6%), asymmetry (2.1%), and hematoma (1.3%) (PubMed Central).

In a meta-analysis of cartilage sparing otoplasty, recurrence/reoperation was the most common reported complication with a prevalence of 4.27% (95% CI: 2.93–6.22), followed by suture erosion 2.46% (95% CI: 0.86–7.07) (PubMed Central).

In the meta-analysis, hematoma/hemorrhage prevalence was 1.34% (95% CI: 0.79–2.27), and the authors did not find any significant difference between cartilage sparing and cartilage scoring (PubMed Central).

Reported complications of cartilage sparing otoplasty include recurrence and reoperation, hematoma, wound infections, suture erosions, keloid formation, and skin necrosis (PubMed Central).

The review reported that the prevalence of these complications is not high, although significant heterogeneity was reported for some outcomes (PubMed Central).

A pooled analysis found that the estimated rate of wound infection was very low, with no significant heterogeneity among the included studies (PubMed Central).

Scarring complications such as keloid formation and skin necrosis were reported, but were not commonly encountered in the pooled analysis (PubMed Central).

All procedures should be discussed with a qualified physician.

What Questions Are Commonly Discussed During an Otoplasty Consultation?

Ear surgery, or otoplasty, improves the shape, position and proportion of the ear.

Common technique discussion points include whether the procedure involves creating or increasing the antihelical fold, reducing enlarged conchal cartilage, placing incisions behind the ear, or placing front-of-ear incisions within folds when necessary (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

New techniques and devices should be discussed with a qualified physician.

FAQ

Is otoplasty only for prominent ears?

Otoplasty can address prominent ears, constricted ears, lop ears, and Stahl ear deformity (PubMed Central). Ear deformities are usually congenital, but they can also be acquired later in life secondary to trauma or tumors (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

Where are otoplasty incisions usually placed?

Incisions for otoplasty are generally made on the back of the ear (American Society of Plastic Surgeons). Front-of-ear incisions are made within folds when necessary to hide them (American Society of Plastic Surgeons).

Are there different otoplasty methods?

Otoplasty approaches can generally be divided into 2 main categories: cartilage cutting and cartilage sparing techniques (PubMed Central). Around 200 otoplasty techniques have been described, including perichondroplasty, cartilage splitting, cartilage sparing, percutaneous, endoscopic, and incision-less techniques (PubMed Central).

What is the Mustardé technique?

The Mustardé technique uses conchoscaphal mattress sutures to recreate the antihelical fold and remains widely used (PubMed Central). The technique risks suture pull-through in firm cartilage (PubMed Central).

What complications have been reported after otoplasty?

Overall complication rates averaged 14.4%, with suture extrusion (5.4%) most common, followed by infection (2.6%), asymmetry (2.1%), and hematoma (1.3%) (PubMed Central).

Where Can Readers Learn More?

This article was produced by Mentis Intelligence for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Individual results vary. All procedures should be discussed with a qualified physician. For a consultation with Dr. Carlo Honrado MD, FACS, contact (310) 286-0043 or visit drhonrado.com/contact.
Content generated by AI (Mentis Intelligence) per California AB 3030 disclosure requirement.

For a consultation with Dr. Carlo Honrado MD, FACS in Beverly Hills & Century City CA, visit drhonrado.com/contact.

Sources

• PubMed Central: Otoplasty Surgical Techniques and Clinical Outcomes: A Practical Review
• American Society of Plastic Surgeons: Let's hear it for otoplasty! | American Society of Plastic Surgeons
• American Society of Plastic Surgeons: Ear Surgery Procedure Steps | American Society of Plastic Surgeons
• PubMed Central: Complications of Cartilage Sparing Otoplasty: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• PubMed: Otoplasty for prominent ear: A systematic review of surgical techniques.

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