Otoplasty New York

For the typical patient who presents with prominent ears, otoplasty is a means of bringing the ear closer to the scalp. In general, 2 areas of the ear are addressed: the concha, or bowl of the ear, is the cup-shaped area near the hole that leads to the eardrum. In people in whom the concha is too deep, this will be addressed by either removing a portion of the cartilage and/or skin of the concha, or alternatively using a suture technique to pull the back of the concha behind the ear closer to the scalp.

The other area of the ear that is typically treated is called the antihelical fold. In the upper one third of the ear, usually what is normally folded is flat. And this brings out the upper portion of the ear from the scalp. Through an incision on the back side of the ear, sutures are used to restore the fold bringing the upper portion of the ear closer to the scalp.

Otoplasties are typically performed under local anesthesia, and the patient has an opportunity to see the result as soon as the procedure has been performed. Recovery from otoplasty is fairly simple. One wears a padded dressing for a few days following the procedure, and then one would wear a sweatband or elastic strap over the ears when sleeping to prevent, as sometimes happens when one rolls over, the ear from getting folded.