Ear Surgery 101 - Otoplasty in Miami

Ear Surgery 101 - Otoplasty in Miami

Ear surgery is one of the few cosmetic surgical procedures done on both children and adults. The reason it is often performed on children is because ears are pretty much fully developed by the time the child is four or five years old, so many want it done before they hit their teen years.

This type of plastic surgery for the ears is also often performed on an outpatient basis on thousands of adults every year. One issue that does arise is that the ear becomes less flexible as we age, and this makes this plastic surgery in South Florida less of a success when older.

So How Do You Perform Ear Surgery?

Otoplasty is another name for ear surgery, and it's usual done as an outpatient procedure in Miami. The location can be either in a hospital or perhaps a surgical establishment.

For children: General anesthesia is normally given so the children are sleeping during the cosmetic surgical procedure.

  • For adults and older teens: A local anesthesia is usually administered that includes a mild sedative.

The Details

  • Normally the cosmetic surgeon will start by placing an incision on the back side of the ear. Then the plastic surgeon will remove the excess skin and remedy the cartilage. Sometimes this plastic surgery involves the removal of some of the ear with trimming and/or shaving.
  • Another technique utilizes the pinning back of the ear cartilage with stitches that are meant to be permanent. This pulls the ear back towards the head. Then there are dissolvable stitches that will seal the cut on the back of the ear. This plastic surgery will take up to two hours and is completed with normal surgical tools and there isn't any specific surgical technology used.

So What about the Recovery?

After the cosmetic surgeon completes the otoplasty, you will need to have padded dressings secured around the ears, and they will need to stay one for a couple of days. Of course you'll need to keep the dressing clean and change it as needed.

Take note that you will have issues sleeping on your side, and there are physicians who will suggest wearing a thick headband to help keep your ears secured.

You'll have a small incision where the initial cut was made that will be barely visible and should be good to go after two weeks.


There are very rarely any issues or complications with a Miami otoplasty plastic surgery.

There have been instances where infections in the cartilage have occurred, and this is simply treated with antibiotics.

In extremely rare cases another surgery is needed to get the excess fluid out of the ear cavity.

Is This an Option for You?

Before attempting any sort of plastic surgery Florida patients should be in good health. You will also need to be sure you have no pre-existing ear injuries or conditions of the ear that might interfere with this procedure. As well, you will need to be prepared to closely follow the surgical instructions.

So Why Do People Opt for This Sort of Plastic Surgery?

Most people look to have otoplasty because they either feel their ears are too big or small or perhaps they are not placed evenly.

A cosmetic surgeon who performs this type of plastic surgery is highly qualified, and of course, as with all kinds of surgery, there are risks involved. This optional surgery is usually done to help with confidence and self-esteem issues, and many children and adults who have had this surgery are better for it.