Ear Pinning & Earlobe Reduction Surgery

Ear Pinning & Earlobe Reduction Surgery in San Diego

Ear pinning or otoplasty is designed to create more normal-looking ears for people whose ears protrude excessively from the side of the head. Most otoplasties are performed on children, so the correction is completed before a child can be teased or ridiculed, as can often happen. Surprisingly, ears have reached about 80% of adult size by age 5 or 6, so an ear-pinning operation during childhood is appropriate. If, for some reason, an otoplasty was not performed in the early years, it is a straightforward operation for teens and adults.

For children, the plastic surgeons at La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre usually perform otoplasty using general anesthesia on an outpatient basis or for a very short stay. For teens or adults, ear pinning is a very comfortable outpatient operation that can even be done under local sedation.

Several surgical techniques are available for correcting ears that stick out too far. All the ear-pinning methods aim to create ears that look more normal without visible scars. The most common methods leave a scar on the back of the ears that is essentially invisible unless the ear is folded forward.

A wraparound head/ear dressing is usually left in place for several days after surgery. Pain is generally minimal. Sometimes, the desired correction is not maintained over time, but this is uncommon. All of the normal risks of any operation, including infection and thick or wide scars, can occur.

Ear pinning is usually a very well-tolerated operation with happy outcomes. If you are interested in more information about an otoplasty, we encourage you to make an appointment with one of La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre’s board-certified plastic surgeons.

Earlobe Reduction

You may be a candidate for an earlobe reduction if you have earlobes that have become wide and elongated. The goal is to have shortened or smaller-appearing earlobes.

This procedure is done on an outpatient basis and usually while you are under local anesthesia. An earlobe reduction involves removing skin from the earlobes. This is done in a variety of ways, leaving a different scar in each situation. Your plastic surgeon will determine the exact way the skin is removed and will suture the skin together after removing the excess skin.