Ear Correction - Process

For adults or school-age children, the procedure can usually be performed out-patient and using local anaesthesia. For smaller children, general anaesthesia is sensible where appropriate. Somewhat more comprehensive corrections or the presence of pre-existing ailments may require a one-day, in-patient stay in some cases. Please speak about this in advance with the doctor who is treating you.¹⁰

The procedure begins with the cleaning and disinfection of the entire area to be treated. Obstructing hair in the ear region may be also be removed if present. For local anaesthesia, a sedative and/or analgesic will typically be administered, causing you to feel nothing during the operation.¹¹ The sounds originating from the procedure are felt to be disturbing by some due to their proximity to the ear canal.

Operative access is achieved through the back side of the ear in most cases. A small incision is made as close to the beginning of the ear as possible. Depending on the extent of the deformity, a narrow strip of skin may be removed.

In the next step, the surgeon carefully detaches the skin on the back side of the ear from the cartilage. This is then either incised or thinned out with the aid of a diamond trephine. This allows the tension of the cartilage to gradually be reduced until it can be folded without effort. The final plication is undertaken using self-dissolving stitches which fix the cartilage in position at the same time.

Should the case arise where, in addition to a non-pronounced plication in the cartilage, there is still a deformity of the ears in relation to the head, the muscles which lie between the back side of the pinna's origination area and the head can be split. Free rotation of the pinna is then possible; the doctor undertakes the positioning correction and fixes the ear in place with the aid of special stitches.

The wound is then closed using a fine thread. For your protection, a form-fitting, light pressure bandage will be placed on you. You should generally plan 30-60 minutes per ear for the operation.¹²