Are You Unhappy with The Appearance of Your Ears?
Many individuals, especially children are unhappy with the appearance of their ears or earlobes. An otoplasty (ear pinning) procedure is the recommended cosmetic surgical procedure for children and adults who want to change the shape of their ears.
Typically, individuals wish to address their protruding ears with the goal of bringing the ears closer to their head. Dr. Thomas Leach has been practicing in the Princeton, New Jersey area for more than 29 years. He is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon who can expertly perform your otoplasty and ear shaping surgery. He also repairs earlobes that have been torn or stretched due to earlobe stretching (gauging) or wearing heavy earrings.
Who Can Benefit from Ear Shaping Surgery?
Typically, individuals are interested in ear shaping if they are unhappy with:
- The size of their ears (prominent ears)
- The shape or their ears
Prominent ears are extremely common with varying degrees of concerns ranging from prominent projection (“bat ears”) to mild projection Expertly performed ear shaping surgery can balance the ears so they are more in harmony with the face.
Who Can Benefit from Earlobe Repair Surgery?
Men and women who elected to use ear gauges or plugs to stretch their earlobes may want or need to repair the large hole or tear in their earlobes. It is becoming increasingly more common for people to repair their torn and misshapen earlobes.
Years of wearing heavy earrings can also lead to stretched, misshapen earlobes or torn earlobes. Dr. Leach can help you reconstruct and restore your earlobes’ appearance.
Otoplasty is customarily performed on children between the ages of 4 and 6, but it can also be performed on adults. There are two types of surgical correction based on the patient’s desired correction.
- Ear pinning involves pulling the ears closer to the head. It is performed on individuals whose ears stick out (prominent ears)
- Ear reduction is when your ears are larger than normal. People with macrotia (prominent large ears) may choose to have otoplasty to reduce the size of their ears.
Dr. Leach explains to his patients that the specific surgical technique used, and the surgical time is dependent upon the type of ear surgery recommended. The procedure typically requires making a small incision on the back of the ears or inside the folds of the ear, removing the cartilage and skin and reshaping the cartilage with stitches. The procedure is done in an accredited outpatient surgical center, or for many patients this procedure can be done as an office procedure. Specific surgical information and aftercare will be provided.
What Is Earlobe Repair Surgery?
Earlobe repair is not as involved as ear shaping/pinning surgery. The surgery is dependent on the type of earlobe damage (torn, split, sagging or a combination), Dr. Leach will suture together the edges of the damage earlobes. This procedure is performed under local anesthesia and will be sent home with aftercare instructions. Patients are advised to wait a minimum of 6 weeks prior to re-piercing their ears. Dr. Leach prefers to re-pierce the patient’s ears himself to help avoid a recurrence of the problem.
If you have been considering an ear shaping or earlobe repair procedure, contact The Princeton Center for Plastic Surgery to schedule a personalized appointment with Dr. Thomas Leach. Call 609.921.7161 or contact us online today.
