Ear Surgery

Name: Ear Surgery
Brand: Klausner Institute
Rating: 4.7 (28 reviews)

For most of us, there is no functional advantage to having large, prominent ears. Otoplasty is the surgical repair or restoration of the ear's outward appearance. At the Klausner Institute, otoplasty, also called “ear pinning”, can fix your ear concerns.

Otoplasty, or Ear Surgery

Otoplasty is most commonly performed to set prominent ears back closer to the head or to reduce the size of large ears. Additionally, otoplasty can reshape the external ear, correcting congenital conditions, such as “shell ear,” “lop ear,” and “cupped ear”. While some ear surgery is performed to repair injuries to the auricle caused by past trauma, ear surgery can also address issues involving the ear lobes, such as large ear lobes, wrinkled ear lobes, or lobes with a torn piercing site or stretched appearance. If you are unsure whether or not your ear issues can be reformed by ear surgery, we are happy to answer your questions during a consultation with Dr. Klausner. Otoplasty is a specialty procedure of Dr. Klausner’s and is popular among our Manhattan patients.

lady posing with hands touching eachother

Otoplasty Benefits: Safe and Natural Results

There are many benefits of ear surgery:
Safe and effective—risk is minimal with a quick two-week recovery time
Results are natural-looking and permanent
Corrects large, prominent ears
Can repair damage to ears due to injury or trauma
Improves overall facial aesthetics
Increases self-confidence and boosts self-image
Can be done for anyone above the age of four

Lee Ann M. Klausner, MD, FACS Otoplasty

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Ear Surgery Candidacy: Do You Qualify for Otoplasty?

Children and adults may be candidates for ear surgery, but a health evaluation is necessary before Dr. Klausner can recommend the best surgical approach. Ideal candidates have no medical conditions that would impair healing and understand that this procedure aims to improve their appearance, not achieve perfection. Please inform our staff about any previous surgeries, medications, smoking habits, and allergies for your preoperative evaluation.

More About Prominent Ears, or Auricularis Prominauris

There are distinct structural features that cause the protrusion of the ear. Lack of development or partial development of the fold of the external ear rim—the antihelical fold—or an external ear bowl—the conchal bowl—that is too deep will typically be seen. In most cases, it is a combination of these features that may need to be adjusted during the surgery. Otoplasty is the medical name of the surgery done to minimize the appearance of prominent ears. In New York City, Dr. Klausner is recognized as one of the leading female facial plastic surgeons handling the otoplasty procedure at her Park Avenue office.

Otoplasty Consultation: Addressing Your Ear Surgery Questions

Whatever your reason for considering otoplasty or ear surgery, you can trust New York, NY, facial plastic surgeon Lee Ann M. Klausner, M.D. to make your experience safe and successful. If you are ready to take the next step, please schedule a consultation for ear surgery online or over the phone. During your consultation, Dr. Klausner will ask you to describe any concerns about the size, shape, or position of your ears.

After a complete examination of the area, Dr. Klausner will provide you with feedback detailing your best options for reshaping your ears. Before any final decisions are made, you will be able to look through our photo gallery of other ear surgery patients. The photo gallery displays detailed before-and-after photos, as well as case descriptions of each patient.

Otoplasty for Children

Otoplasty is often performed on children between the ages of 4 and 14. The procedure cannot be performed earlier than four years of age because the external ear does not fully develop and reach its standard adult size until this age. However, It is common for children to have ear surgery in childhood to escape feelings of self-consciousness and ridicule that might come from other less sensitive peers as they grow older. For parents seeking otoplasty to correct their child’s prominent ears, the decision to undergo ear surgery should be based on the child’s motivation and not solely on the parents. Parents should pay attention to their child’s feelings and not insist on ear surgery to correct protruding ears until their child requests the change. Children who feel bothered by their protruding ears and ask for surgery are far more likely to be cooperative during the process and happy with the result.

Otoplasty for Adults

Frequently, an individual with one or two prominent ears who did not consider otoplasty during childhood will seek otoplasty as an adult. There is no additional risk of ear surgery for prominent ears in adults. Commonly, one ear can be more prominent than the other. As individuals, our external ears and other facial features are not identical. It is essential to realize that even after otoplasty, some ear differences will still exist.

Otoplasty Results and Recovery: Enjoying Your New Ears

Once your ear surgery in New York City or Manhattan has finished and you are released to leave the hospital, you will recover at home. Dr. Klausner or a member of her team will provide instructions for recovery. It's important not to touch, pick at, or scratch the ears. Also, neither you nor your child should lay on the ears. Instead, we ask that you sleep propped up for the first few days. Dr. Klausner recommends seeing her ear surgery patients back within a week — during this time, Dr. Klausner or a team member will take off the bandages and assess you or your child's surgical results. The outcomes are visible almost immediately, and the results will continue to look better as the ears heal.