Otoplasty

Whether you're correcting prominent ears or refining their shape, ear reshaping offers subtle, lasting improvement. This procedure brings balance to your facial features, restoring confidence with results that feel natural, proportionate, and uniquely you.

Be Seen and Heard

Asymmetry will eternally bedevil every beauty in the world. When your ears are out of proportion with the rest of your facial features, the aesthetic tension is acute. That’s because big ears on little kids are adorable and silly. Unfortunately, “adorable and silly” might not be the look you’re going for at 22, or 32, or even 18 years old.

Enter: Otoplasty

Ear surgery corrects an aesthetic imbalance of the facial features by adjusting the size, shape, and orientation of the outer ear. It is a cosmetic procedure meant to subtly enhance your appearance. With your face in seamless aesthetic balance, your big ears will never again detract from the sights and sounds of you.

Southern Surgical Arts (SSA) serves Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Northern Georgia with the finest aesthetic services in the South. Contact us to get the conversation started. Call our office to schedule a consultation. Our staff can’t wait to speak with you! SSA’s new Virtual Consultations allow you to start your aesthetic journey from the secure comforts of home.

About Ear Reshaping

Awkward-looking or over-projecting ears can be a source of shame and embarrassment. Ears can sometimes be too large, disproportionate to the head, misaligned or otherwise aesthetically unpleasing. It is a frequent and unfortunate happenstance of genetics or some previous disfiguring accident.

Otoplasty is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of protruding ears. Since the condition first appears in youth, school-aged children make up a large portion of otoplasty patients. Many young adults, emotionally bruised by childhood bullying, also seek out cosmetic correction with ear surgery.^([1])

Should You Undergo Otoplasty?

Their ears protrude more than 2cm from their head
Their ears are disproportionately large in relation to other features
Their ears sit asymmetrically on the head

Benefits

Otoplasty will improve your appearance and enhance your self-esteem. Many people endure awkward or asymmetrical ears. Fortunately, there is a safe and simple procedure at Southern Surgical Arts that can help. If you are a parent suffering through your child’s struggles, then it may delight you to learn that it is safe to perform otoplasty as early as five or six years old. This is when the ears have stopped growing. Benefits of otoplasty include:

Outpatient procedure performed under local anesthesia (in adults)
Minimal scarring is easily hidden behind the ear
Enhances appearance and self-esteem
Long-lasting results

Stay informed of all the latest at SSA. Read our blog!

What Is The Best Age for Otoplasty?

Children’s ears have typically stopped growing by about age five or six. Unless the ear surgery is being performed for some health-related issue, then a doctor is likely to advise waiting until such time as the otological cartilage has finished developing.

Ideal Candidates

Children age five and up, or any adult
Non-smokers
Generally in good health
Desires ear reshaping

When to Consider Otoplasty or Earlobe Reduction Surgery

Ears that protrude (stick out) and are out of proportion
Earlobes are too large, either congenitally or due to stretching of the earlobes
The earlobe piercings are stretched or torn
Inability to wear earrings

If you, your child, or someone else you love has protruding ears, a single call could change their life for the better. Do you desire earlobe reduction, earlobe repair, or earlobe reshaping? All potential candidates are invited to schedule a private, informative consultation at Southern Surgical Arts.

Your Private Consultation at Southern Surgical Arts

Southern Surgical Arts serves Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Northern Georgia with the finest aesthetic services in the South. Dr. Chad Deal, our Chief Surgical Officer, is a proud son of Tennessee with the country accent to prove it. He is joined in his mission by the diplomat, Dr. Vincent Gardner.

The four elements make a potent mix. Together, as Southern Surgical Arts, this fellowship of plastic surgeons manifests Dr. Deal’s vision of artfully customized patient care.

Contact us to get the conversation started. Call our office to schedule your informative otoplasty consultation. Our staff can’t wait to speak with you!

If you are out of town or pressed for time, SSA offers Virtual Consultations. Consult with one of our board-certified doctors from the privacy of your home!

Schedule Your Consultation

Ear Surgery Procedure

Otoplasty is a commonly performed outpatient procedure. Usually performed under a local anesthetic, otoplasty is a simple, outpatient procedure that requires no overnight hospital stay.

The framework of the ear is essentially cartilage and skin. While anatomical differences vary from person to person, otoplasty will reshape the position or the size of the ear, or both. Carefully planned, well-hidden incisions are made behind the ear, the skin is redraped, and the cartilage of the ear itself is artfully repositioned in a more pleasing way.^([4])

Your results will be proportionate to your head and face. Also, large or torn earlobes can be corrected during this procedure. We also offer earlobe repair independently in the office.

Otoplasty Step-by-Step

Make an incision behind or inside the ear (to minimize visible scarring)
Remove requisite cartilage and/or skin
Suture the ears to the desired position and close all incisions
Apply the appropriate head bandages

Patients have indicated some mild discomfort during the average one to two weeks that it takes to recover from this surgery, but it is generally very well-tolerated. But healthcare is not a one-size-fits-all affair. Your situation demands a dynamic super-team of the very best in plastic surgery. SSA is eager to attend to your unique needs.

Results & Recovery

Seven to ten days of rest are required for otoplasty. After your surgery, Dr. Deal will require you to return to his office so he can remove your dressings. After ear surgery, you will need a caregiver or “recovery buddy” for the first two to three days.

How Long Does It Take to Recover From Otoplasty?

You can plan on about a week of downtime following your ear surgery. During this time, you should wear your compression headband to assist in the healing process. If you have followed your doctor’s post-op directions, most of the swelling and discomfort should subside after the first three days.

Even after you start to feel better, you should continue your doctor’s antibiotics regimen, as prescribed. After several days of recovery, you will be cleared to return to work or school. Continue to wear your headband for a month following surgery.

The aim of your aftercare is to avoid damaging your surgical correction. Trauma to the site may result in less-than-optimal results and necessitate revision surgeries. Nearly all of the swelling will have subsided after three months. After a year, your newly-shaped ears should be fully healed and looking fantastic.

Anticipated Results

Ears that are closer in position to the head and more proportional
Improved earlobe size and shape
Correction of stretched earlobe piercing
Ability to re-pierce the earlobe (if desired)

What Does Otoplasty Cost?

Our all-inclusive cost for Otoplasty begins at $4,900 and may exceed that amount for those patients that need additional, specific work. The final cost we give you will always include the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia costs, facility fees, supplies and all routine follow-up visits.

SSA’s new Virtual Consultations allow you to start your aesthetic journey from the secure comforts of home.

Our financing partners help put your aesthetic goals within your reach with flexible payment options for those who qualify. Ask about our specials for exclusive savings opportunities.

The Sights and Sounds of You

Your overly large ears intrude upon your every interaction. They frame your whole visage in awkward and adolescent proportions. A simple ear surgery to pin back protruding cartilage is just a small adjustment. But the remarkable effect of your results will be difficult to miss.

Otoplasty’s delicate cosmetic improvements appear amplified by the resounding fractal balance of your other features. A little adjustment goes a long way with ear surgery. And you will be both seen and heard in every authentic encounter.

References

Rinzler, CA (2009). The Encyclopedia of Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery. New York City: Facts on File.
Niamtu, J. (2018). Cosmetic Otoplasty and Related Ear Surgery. Cosmetic Facial Surgery, 473–532. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-323-39393-5.00008-x
Otoplasty. (2018, August 14). Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/otoplasty/about/pac-20394822.
Litschel, R., Majoor, J., & Tasman, A. (2015). Effect of Protruding Ears on Visual Fixation Time and Perception of Personality. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 17(3), 183. doi:10.1001/jamafacial.2015.0078