Teasing and school go together almost as much as the 90s New Jersey Devils and uncalled interference penalties. But while a kid may get some needling for a bad Christmas sweater, he or she shouldn’t get any grief because their ears stick out. Dr. Perron performs ear surgery to bring children’s ears closer to the head and for other aesthetic goals.
What is otoplasty?
Ear surgery, clinically known as otoplasty, is a cosmetic procedure to improve the appearance of a person’s ears. Dr. Perron has one of two goals for this surgery: to bring protruding ears back closer to the head or to reduce the size of overly large ears.
These are other, less common, reasons for otoplasty:
- Lop ear (top of the ear folds downward or inward)
- Cupped ear (a small ear)
- Shell ear (no outer curve in the cartilage)
- Large stretched or torn earlobes
- Earlobes with large creases or wrinkles
How old do children need to be to have ear surgery?
The goal is for the ears to be fully developed before having surgery. Human ears are usually fully developed around the age of four. This is good timing because at four kids have not yet started kindergarten, so their options for teasing at school haven’t occurred yet. Otoplasty with Dr. Perron can head this off before it ever gets started.
What’s involved with otoplasty?
Ear surgery begins with a small incision made behind the ear in the natural crease where the ear meets the head. Dr. Perron then sculpts, shapes, and bends the cartilage as needed to achieve the desired appearance. In some situations, excess skin may be removed, but the cartilage is usually kept and bent back upon itself to downsize the ear. If only one ear is misshapen, often both ears will merit some attention so that they look the same afterward.
Recovery
Patients have bandages around their head after the surgery. These will be removed by Dr. Perron in a day or two. The ears may ache or throb for a few days, but this can be mitigated with pain medication successfully. The patient can return to work or school in just a few days.
Don’t let your kids be teased about their ears. Call Dr. Perron at 403-228-7076 and ask about ear surgery.
