Otoplasty

When an otoplasty is performed at a young age, typically before 10 to 12 years old, it is ideally done under mild general anesthesia. By also applying local anesthesia simultaneously, only a minimal amount of sedative is needed. The local anesthetic provides effective pain relief for up to 12 hours after the procedure, ensuring the operation is calm and comfortable.

For adults and children who fully understand the procedure, the surgery can be done under local anesthesia alone. This is generally very well tolerated. No pain is felt during the operation. The anesthesia is given within seconds via a small injection.

The surgeon makes an incision behind the ear to expose the cartilage and then reshapes the antehelix fold by placing about three stitches that hold the fold in the desired position. If the concha is too deep, a crescent-shaped piece of cartilage is removed from the ear, allowing the cartilage to be reattached so that the concha becomes shallower and the ear is closer to the head.

The skin is closed with dissolvable stitches that do not need to be removed.

The entire procedure takes approximately 45 minutes per ear.

At the end of the procedure, a thick layer of cotton padding is placed around the ears, held in place by a gently applied bandage wrapped around the head—similar to a turban. This bandage should be worn for about a week and is generally well tolerated. After 6 to 7 days, the bandage is removed, which is painless, and the patient can go home without any bandage. From that moment on, hair washing is allowed again. However, be careful with using a hot hairdryer, as sensation in the ear may be temporarily reduced.

Two weeks after the procedure, the knots of the external skin stitches are clipped off. This is completely painless.

It is essential that the ears are not folded forward for six weeks. Wound healing and the settling of the new ear folds are only sufficiently strong after this period. Therefore, it is important to wear a light cap or ear band while sleeping to prevent the ears from bending unintentionally.

Contact sports such as judo, wrestling, soccer, basketball, and similar activities should also be avoided during these six weeks.

Fortunately, these are rare.

If you experience a burning, unbearable pain the morning after the procedure, it may mean that the bandage is too tight. Do not remove the bandage yourself; instead, contact the practice and come in that same morning. We will then reapply the bandage with less pressure.

A postoperative bleeding is uncommon, but if the bandage becomes noticeably red, it is wise to contact us so we can check the bandage.

Infection is extremely rare. If you notice increasing redness, swelling, and/or pain several days or weeks after the procedure, possibly accompanied by fever, please contact us immediately. We will see you as soon as possible to treat it.

A recurrence, where one or both ears revert to their original position, occurs in less than 5% of cases. This can be caused by prematurely broken sutures or a less secure internal adhesion. While this is annoying, it is not a serious problem. A revision procedure can be easily performed, usually under local anesthesia, and almost always results in a lasting outcome.

After the procedure, it is normal to pay more attention to your ears and possibly notice small differences. Minor asymmetries are completely normal—almost no one has perfectly symmetrical ears naturally. A clearly visible difference between the ears is, of course, not the goal, and we will correct it if that occurs.

Surgical fee starting from €1950

Price excludes VAT, anesthesia, operating room fees, materials, staff, and hospital stay