Otoplasty continues to be a popular procedure. It is one of the few cosmetic plastic surgery procedures that is done for children, but Otoplasty is an ear shaping procedure that is performed every day for people of all ages.
Dr. Mele Discusses Otoplasty on KRON 4’s Body Beautiful
This month, I appeared on the Bay Area’s News Station, KRON 4, to discuss Otoplasty on Body Beautiful. Below is the video segment, which includes a brief description of the procedure and a narrative of several Otoplasty Before and After Pictures.
Otoplasty Video (Ear Pinning for Prominent Ears)
How Often is Otoplasty Performed?
Yesterday, I performed two Otoplasties. It is a common procedure here in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially Ear Pinning for prominent ears. Last year, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported that 36,727 Otoplasties were performed. Otoplasty missed being a top ten procedure by one slot. If earlobe repairs for torn earlobes were included, it would likely be in the top three.
Types of Otoplasty
There are many reasons for having otoplasty. The most common by far is the correction of ears that stick out with an Ear Pinning procedure. However, many other ear deformities can also be addressed.
Microtia (Absence of the Ear)
The ultimate Otoplasty is the creation of an ear for someone born absent one. It is a very complicated, specialized procedure most commonly begun early in life and under the guidance of a multidisciplinary team at Children’s Hospitals like UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland (formerly Oakland Children’s Hospital) and Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. In fact, one of the world’s pioneers in Microtia Reconstruction is the San Francisco Bay Area’s now retired plastic surgeon and sculptor Burt Brent. The combination of Plastic Surgery and Sculpting is a necessity of today’s total ear reconstruction. In the future, however, with the advent of digital scanners and 3-D printing, future reconstruction may become less dependent on sculpting skills.
Other Ear Deformities
Prominent ears and microtia are at opposite ends of the Ear Deformity spectrum. A Prominent Ear is essentially a normal ear that sticks out. Microtia is the nearly complete absence of the ear. Otoplasty can be used to improve both these extremes as well as the range of ear deformities that exist between them including: losses, redundancies or injuries of ear structure either from trauma or tumor removal.
Restrictions in ear growth can manifest as Cup Ear or Lop Ear. Excess growth can result in Darwin’s Tubercle, Stahl’s Ear or Spock Ears. Injuries to the ear result in missing parts, Cauliflower Ear, Torn Earlobes and Keloids.
Otoplasty Consultations
If you are considering cosmetic ear surgery, give my San Francisco Bay Area Plastic Surgery Practice a call at (925) 943-6353. The type of procedure best suited to your ears will be selected and discussed, giving you the information you need to make an informed decision about what the next step can do for you.
Previous Post Next Post