Otoplasty
Otoplasty is used to reduce the size of the ear or reposition the ears closer to the head.
Dr. Tarick Smiley is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California. He is also an active member of the Plastic Surgery Foundation for which he has received 1st place awards for his publications and presentations.
Deformity of the ears is among the most common of visible birth defects in children. This problem varies in complexity and often remains unrepaired into adulthood, especially with the current reluctance of “managed-care” plans to underwrite the cost of appropriate surgery.
Often typified by failure of the outer rim of the ear to fold back toward the scalp during fetal development, this defect results in outward protrusion of the ears, and thus undue prominence. This ear deformity often results in taunts by other children, and is thus thought to best be repaired before a child enters school.
The surgical procedure to repair protruding ears is best done under general anesthesia in young children, but can be easily be carried out under local anesthesia, with or without sedation, in teen and adult patients.
Surgical repair involves exposing and reshaping the deformed ear cartilages, creating the missing ear folds, and positioning the ears in proper location adjacent to the mastoid bones of the skull. A special contour-conforming ear-dressing is used for about 5-7 days post-op to prevent disruption of the repair, and a protective head-band is recommended for six weeks to protect the repair and allow it to stabilize.
Dr. Smiley's & Otoplasty
As an experienced plastic surgeon, Dr. Smiley in Beverly Hills, Ca understands that protruding or large ears can be an embarrassing feature for adults and children. This and other ear issues can be corrected with otoplasty, a type of cosmetic ear surgery for adults and children. It is an ear correction procedure designed to remove or reshape the cartilage that makes up your ears.