OTOPLASTY

….  immediate and permanent 
reshaping of ear deformities!

Otoplasty is a very rewarding form of ear surgery for both surgeon and patient because with ears pinned back, the patient’s appearance, self-image and self-esteem all dramatically improve. Men can wear their hair as short as they wish without feeling self-conscious and women can wear eye-catching earrings with their hair pulled back without attracting the ‘stares’ we all dislike!

With children, it’s important that the Otoplasty is done at around 6-7 years of age in order to avoid the teasing and bullying that this condition often attracts from their peers around this age. Continual teasing by other children can be devastating to a child and can lead to self-consciousness, body image problems and more serious psychological disorders. So, early treatment is urged.

Although Otoplasty is more often requested by teenagers and adults, doing it in childhood has the following distinct technical advantages:

• The cartilage in children is softer and more easily moulded.
• It avoids the risk of teasing and taunting from other children at school – a not-uncommon problem in children around this age.

At your initial consultation, our Otoplasty Surgeon will first need to determine the specific abnormality in the ear cartilage that is causing the deformity as this will determine the surgical technique required.

VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ:

Currently, there are two ways of performing an Otoplasty that deserve your careful consideration:

1. Incisional Otoplasty

This is the time-proven and more effective technique to permanently correct protruding ears. An incision is made on the back of the ear and the ear cartilage is exposed.  The cartilage is then modified to allow the ear to sit closer to the side of the head. The skin incision is closed with sutures that either dissolve or are removed 7-10 days later. The resulting scar behind the ear becomes very inconspicuous over time.

2. Non-Incisional Otoplasty

In recent years, a new and less invasive method of pinning back protruding ears using only sutures has been widely promoted, often by doctors without the surgical qualifications, training and experience required for the Incisional Otoplasty technique.

While you may find this non-surgical technique very tempting, please bear in mind that not all ear deformities can be corrected using sutures alone, and accordingly, your result may be somewhat less than you had expected.

Moreover, the sutures may fail to hold and allow the original deformity to spring back into place.

For all the foregoing reasons, the Sydney Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery Clinic does not recommend or offer the Non-Incisional Technique.

	Non-Incisional Otoplasty	Incisional Otoplasty
Incision	No incision is involved. Instead, a series of sutures are inserted to pin the ears back closer to the head.	Incision is made along the back of the ear to gain access to the underlying cartilage and correct whichever deformities are causing the protrusion.
Effectiveness & Duration of Correction	A less reliable technique. Owing to the tension involved, the suture may fail to hold and allow the original deformity to return. If the sutures fail, the procedure needs to be repeated or preferably, replaced with the Incisional Technique.	Better able to address all the finer causes of each individual’s ear protrusion. A more effective & permanent result
Anaesthesia	Can be performed under Local Anaesthesia +/- Sedation	General Anaesthesia
Operating Time	1½ hours	2 hours
Recovery & ‘Downtime’	1-2 weeks for the bruising and swelling to settle. Anchoring Sutures are hidden and remain in place. There are no external sutures to be removed.	1-2 weeks for the bruising and swelling to settle. Sutures are removed after 7 days.
Scar	None	Usually fine and very inconspicuous

How is it done?

An Incisional Otoplasty is performed in a Licensed Hospital under General Anaesthesia.

However, an overnight stay is not required.  You can go home shortly after the procedure and recuperate there. However, you cannot go home alone. You must be accompanied by a responsible adult who can be with you for the first 24 hours.

Post-operative pain is usually mild only and can be easily relieved with simple analgesics that your Surgeon will have prescribed for you.

Recovery after an Incisional Otoplasty

Initially, your ear(s) need to be covered with a bulky compression bandage for around 7 days.

Sutures are usually removed when the bandage is taken off.

When your Surgeon removes the bandage, the ear(s) may look bruised, swollen and uneven. Don’t be alarmed as these appearances are normal and will settle over the ensuing 2-3 weeks.

After your compression bandage is removed, your surgeon may recommend that you wear a tennis-type headband, at nights only, for a further 2-3 weeks to support the re-shaped ear cartilage in its healing phases.

Adult patients usually prefer to wait for the bandages to be removed before returning to work. You should refrain from strenuous exercise for 2-3 weeks.

Children can return to school when the bandages are removed but need to exercise extra care during playground time.

Females should avoid wearing their earrings until all swelling has subsided as inserting them can be difficult as well as pose a risk of introducing an infection.

Before & After

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Costs

Incisional Otoplasty:

Surgical Fee $3,300 for one ear and $5,500 for both ears.
Additional costs include Hospital Fee & Anaesthetist Fee.

Incisional Otoplasty may be eligible for a Medicare Rebate if you are under 18 years of age. If you are eligible, and you also have Private Hospital Insurance, a variable portion of the Hospital Fees can also be claimed depending on your Fund and level of Cover.

Follow-up appointments for up to 6 months are included.

Payment Plans 

We accept payments from various independent finance providers including  

Handypay & Total Lifestyle Credit (TLC) 

If you need to finance all or part of your procedure, National Regulations require that you must source your own funding through a bank or any number of Medical Loan Providers such as the above easily found by searching on Google.

Frequently Asked Questions

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.