Ear Correction (Otoplasty) | Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

The reason for protruding ears usually is an insufficient folding of the outer ear cartilage, often combined with a malposition of the ear with regard to the skull. Both may be corrected by an outer ear correction (otoplasty) – at our Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, we offer children and grown-ups suffering from their obtrusive ears lasting liberation from their psychological load. With small children, the operation is not performed before they are at least pre-schoolers; after this, otoplasty is possible at any age.

Our team at Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery will be happy to advise you in detail about which possibilities exist in your particular case. Please feel free to contact us about this.

With children, the operation at the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is performed always with general anaesthesia. Grown-ups may have their ear correction performed under local anaesthesia as well. For some patients, having the sounds of the operation take place so close to their auditory canal is felt to be unpleasant or disturbing; that’s why the ear correction (otoplasty) at our Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery may also be performed under general anaesthesia.

Usually, an incision is made at the rear of the ear close to the ear stem; this incision will later heal and be practically invisible. By bending the ear, the ideal fold is determined and marked at the front of the ear. Starting from the incision behind the ear, we will carefully remove the skin on the back of the ear from the cartilage. The cartilage is then incised using a special technique, or thinned using a surgical fraise, until the ear can be moved into the desired fold shape. Sutures with a special thread then fixate the folds in the shape defined in the beginning.

If the ear also shows a malposition with regard to the skull, we at the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery can also sever the muscle connections behind the ear at the ear stem. Then, the ear can be turned closer to the skull where it gets fixated with special sutures. A lightweight shaping compression dressing is applied directly after the ear correction.

For 2–3 days after the ear correction, you will be wearing a head bandage; after that, a headband will be sufficient. You will have to wear it especially during the night in order to protect the freshly operated ears. A special aftercare at the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is in most cases not necessary.

What is decisive is to avoid any unintentional folding of the ear as long as the new shape has not yet firmly healed in place. No exercise or sports are to be done for six weeks.

We will inform you comprehensively in a detailed personal consultation about any potential risks as well as how we will proceed with the ear correction (otoplasty) in your individual case. Please feel free to contact the team of Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery about this.

With little children, one should wait until they are at least pre-schoolers. After that, an ear correction may be performed at any age.

During an ear correction, the ears may get positioned closer to the skull, and too large earlobes may be reduced in size. During a personal consultation, we will discuss your wishes and establish an individually tailored treatment concept.

In general, for otoplasty, an incision is required behind the ear; via this incision, the skin behind the ear is then carefully removed from the ear cartilage. The cartilage is then incised using a special technique, or thinned using a surgical fraise, until the ear can be moved into the desired fold shape. Special sutures fixate the final result. If the ear also shows a malposition with regard to the skull, we at the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery can also sever the muscle connections behind the ear at the ear stem and then turn the ear closer to the skull.

In general, an ear correction is considered to be very low-risk, since it is a routine operation. In rare cases, an infection or post-operative haemmorrhage may occur.

Only in very rare cases will there be a recurrence of protruding ears after an ear correction. One such case could be the threads working their way through the cartilage, so that an increased tension may let the ears protrude once again.

At our Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the cost for an ear correction starts at 4,000 €. We will be happy to prepare an individual cost calculation for you during a personal consultation.