Ear Surgery

Ear surgery (otoplasty) is a plastic surgery procedure performed at Iorio Plastic Surgery & CosMedical Center that repositions protruding ears in a more natural position on the head.

Ear surgery may be performed on children after the age of 5 or 6. Correcting the appearance of protruding ears can help reduce stress from childhood teasing, as well as balance the proportions of the head and face.

What is ear surgery?

Ear surgery (otoplasty) can help reduce the protrusion of the ears away from the head. Though ear surgery is most commonly performed on children between the ages of 5 or 6 and 14, it can also be performed on adults.

For kids, having ears that stick out can lead to taunting and ridicule, having a negative effect on the child's psyche. For older patients, otoplasty may be performed on people with large ears or with congenital (birth) irregularities. Ear surgery may also be desired when a person’s ears show abnormal traits due to genetics or to injury, such as losing an ear or part of an ear.

Ear surgery can also be performed with eyelid surgery and face lift procedures for overall facial improvement.

What are the benefits of ear surgery?

Ear surgery can have many benefits, including the following:

  • Restoring facial proportion when the ears stick out too much
  • Correcting folded ear tips (lop ear)
  • Reshaping long or offset earlobes
  • Enhancing very small ears or other congenital defects
  • Remedying an accidental injury, including the loss of an ear

How is ear surgery performed?

Dr. Louis Iorio commonly performs ear surgery under general anesthesia for children and local anesthesia for adults. The standard otoplasty procedure brings the ears closer to the head. The surgery starts with an incision hidden in the crease behind the ear, which allows the cartilage behind the ears to be reshaped and lets Dr. Iorio position the ears closer to the head.

An ear surgery procedure usually lasts for one to two hours, depending upon the extent of surgery. Dr. Iorio will discuss how ear surgery can benefit your individual situation during your consultation at Iorio Plastic Surgery & CosMedical Center.

What happens after ear surgery?

After Dr. Iorio completes the otoplasty surgery, your head will be wrapped with large bandages to secure the ears in place and promote faster healing. You’ll usually be able to have the bandages removed within a week and replaced with smaller dressings. Most patients can resume their regular activities within a week, though contact sports should be avoided for at least a month.

Though ear surgery can sometimes leave a small scar behind the ear, most of our patients are very pleased with the results.

Protruding Ears? Ear Surgery Can Restore a More Natural Appearance.

If you’re considering ear surgery for yourself or your child, we’d be happy to discuss the procedure with you. You can reach Iorio Plastic Surgery & Medspa at  732-780-9191 for Holmdel, New Jersey or Colts Neck, New Jersey or  732-458-7400 for Brick, New Jersey, or request an appointment online for a consultation with Dr. Iorio.

Schedule A Consultation Today!

Are you interested in our services? Get in touch now!

* All indicated fields must be completed.
Please include non-medical questions and correspondence only.

Accessibility Toolbar

Scroll to Top