What Age You Can Get Otoplasty Surgery?

Post Date: 2/21/2022

What Age You Can Get Otoplasty Surgery?

Prominent ear surgery or otoplasty is one of the most researched operations by parents. Prominent ears, which are common in society, used to be ignored by parents, but now the situation is different. The new generations of parents, who are aware that this problem can even cause serious psychological trauma in children, are worried about being late for treatment. Well, is there such a thing as the right age for prominent ear surgery?

From what age can this surgery be performed?

Prominent ear surgery (otoplasty) is a very simple procedure that has been performed for years to change the shape and position of the ears. It is applied not only to patients suffering from prominent ears but also to people whose ears are different from each other or whose ears seem larger than their heads.

When Is the Best Time for Otoplasty?

The prominent ear is usually caused by genetic reasons, so surgery can be performed after the ear development is completed and the prominent ear image is noticed. Although otoplasty surgery is generally performed from the age of 5, it can be performed from the age of 3 if deemed necessary by the surgeon.

It’s possible to perform the surgery at later ages since prominent ears are mostly not of a nature to harm the physical health of the individual. On the other hand, the prominent ear image can be traumatic, especially for school-age children. Children in this age group tend to make fun of their peers' physical features, such as having prominent ears, wearing glasses or braces. It is known that psychological traumas experienced in childhood significantly affect the later ages of individuals; for this reason, experts emphasize that prominent ear surgery should be performed at 5-6 years of age before school age in order to prevent a possible problem.

Does the Surgery Leave Scars?

 As we mentioned above, otoplasty surgery is a simple procedure. The operation is performed under general anesthesia in order not to frighten or stress the children. In adult patients, general or local anesthesia can be optionally preferred.

Standard prominent ear surgery takes 1-1.5 hours. The procedure is performed through small surgical incisions made behind the ear and these traces are well hidden. Thus, there is no visible scar after the operation.

Patients are kept under observation for a few hours and are discharged on the same day after the operation. The bandages and pads that are placed to fix the new shape of the ear after the surgery are removed in less than a week and the results appear.

In short, otoplasty is an easy operation in terms of both the procedure and the healing process. Although it is possible to perform this operation at any age, the earlier it is performed, the better for children to be more successful in their social lives in the future.

If you consider having rhinoplasty surgery, contact us right away to get a free consultancy service from Prof. Dr. Selçuk İnanlı.