Ear reduction

If the ear canal is larger than the upper range of normal range in terms of dimensions of length and width, we will refer to as macrotia or large auricles.

Ears are generally considered large if they measure more than 66 mm in height and 35 mm in width. In many cases, this is due to excessive vertical growth of the antihelix, and in other cases it is due to a combination with a prominent earlobe.

What can I expect from an otoplasty for ear reduction surgery

Before the treatment, our doctor will examine your earlobes and advise you accordingly. You will be given a local anaesthetic to ensure that any pain or discomfort during the treatment is kept to a minimum.

Earlobe repair is a non-invasive procedure that involves ‘refreshing’ the edges of a torn or stretched earlobe and removing a small amount of skin. The earlobe is carefully repaired using very fine sutures and reconstructed into a rounded lobe that resembles its original, natural shape.

The earlobes are then covered with dressings and the patient can go home. As mentioned, earlobe reduction surgery is a straightforward procedure that can be performed under local anaesthetic. Thanks to the excellent blood supply to the area, healing is always good and the risk of adverse scarring is very low, even in patients with dark skin.

Surgery for macrotia

There are a number of surgical techniques for correcting large ears, although one of those that produces the best aesthetic results is the technique proposed by Argamaso in 1989. According to this procedure, the uppermost part of the antihelix is removed and the helix cartilage is rotated over the new antihelix, with the incision closed at the innermost part of the helix root, at the level of the sideburns.

Of all the procedures designed to reduce ear size, this is the technique that most effectively conceals the scar, despite the fact that it is located on the front of the ear.

The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic and can also be combined with conventional otoplasty, although it is very important to ensure that patients who smoke drastically reduce their nicotine intake to ensure good blood circulation in the area.

The post-operative period for this procedure is similar to that of classic otoplasty, although the patient will wear the tension band for a shorter period and the course of antibiotics will also be shorter.

Otoplasty has also been a godsend for people who have spent their lives self-conscious about their ‘big ears’. Many of them have felt too embarrassed to show their ears, hiding them behind their hair, or wearing scarves or hats, and, in the case of women, unable to wear earrings.

With otoplasty for reduction this can be resolved and normalised, although it is also true that we will never be able to create a pair of ears that are perfectly asymmetrical, since there are no two ears that are identical.

It is often said that ears grow as we get older, but this is not just a myth – it is completely untrue. The ear itself does not grow, but the earlobe sags as it loses firmness, as it is not supported by cartilage; over time, the vertical length of the earlobe increases, and in women this process is accelerated by the wearing of earrings, which in some cases are heavy.

In recent years, many techniques for ear lobe reduction have been described, and whilst all of them can be effective, the patterns of skin excision used may result in some differences in the shape of the ear lobe, as well as in the location of the scars.

Otoplasty must be tailored by the surgeon to the individual needs of each patient. Techniques include reshaping or sculpting the existing ear cartilage; adjusting the position of the helix and lobe in relation to the head; and reshaping, excising or adding skin or cartilage grafts and flaps.

Pedralbes Clinic es una de las mejores clínicas de cirugía maxilofacial en Barcelona. Dispone de unas instalaciones de vanguardia y un experimentado equipo médico estético.

Tanto la intervención como el tratamiento pre y postoperatorio serán realizados en las propias instalaciones de la clínica situada en el Paseo de Manuel Girona, 14, en Barcelona.