Ear Pinning Surgery

Patients both young and old who struggle with overly protruding or large ears may find relief in the skills of plastic surgeon Dr. James Ward, who performs ear surgery in Arlington. This procedure works to reduce the size and projection of one's ears.

When Is Ear Surgery the Right Choice?

Also called otoplasty, the goal of ear surgery is to improve the aesthetic appearance of one's ears. Many people may look to Dr. Ward's proven skills in ear surgery to correct the following issues:

• Ears that are out of proportion
• Ears that protrude too far from the head
• Ears that are misshapen

Working with the underlying structure, the cartilage of the ear, Dr. Ward can not only improve your ears' appearance, but also your self-esteem. Surgery may also work to quell teasing the patient may experience due to their prominent ear size or shape.

In order to move forward with the procedure, you should be a healthy nonsmoker who understands the risks and benefits of this procedure. Children should also be at least four years old with fully developed ears.

How Otoplasty Reshapes the Ears

For adults undergoing this procedure, a local anesthetic with sedation will be given by Dr. Ward's board certified anesthesiologist, while children will be given a general anesthetic for the two to three hour surgery.

When beginning, Dr. Ward will make a small incision at the back of the ear through which he can access the cartilage. He will then remove excess cartilage and sculpt the remaining cartilage to achieve an improved ear shape and position. Finally, Dr. Ward will fold the ears back closer to the head and place sutures to close the incisions. He will then apply a head bandage which will maintain the new shape of the ears.

Post Operative Steps: What to Expect

After ear surgery, adults may return to work after five days or so, but children may need to miss about one week of school. Due to this, it may be advantageous to schedule otoplasty for children during a break from school, if possible. The bandage Dr. Ward applied post-surgery may need to be changed out over the next couple of days or replaced with a lighter dressing and the sutures will be removed after a week. Any aftercare instructions given by Dr. Ward should be followed closely.

Some side effects may occur with ear surgery and may include blood clots, infection or the formation of scar tissue. Please discuss any questions or concerns you may have with Dr. Ward during your consultation.

To learn more about undergoing ear surgery in Arlington in the safety and convenience of the USMD Hospital with Dr. James Ward, we encourage you to call his office at (817) 861-0505 to schedule a consultation.