Ear Surgery (Otoplasty)

Otoplasty (Ear Pinning) with Dr. Marwan Khalifeh

Ear protrusion is a common reason to seek the advice of a facial plastic surgeon. Concerns with protruding ears unfortunately often start during childhood. Kids tease each other about extreme protrusion, and by age 6-7 this teasing can cause undue stress on the child, so some parents seek surgical corrections at that age for their children. Other times, patients come as adults who have been bothered for many years by this relatively easy-to-fix problem. We see patients growing their hair specifically to cover the ears, or even wearing headbands to hide the ears. Whatever your motivation maybe, if you are bothered by your ear protrusion, then otoplasty surgery is an option for you. At DC Cosmetics, we can help produce natural-appearing but dramatic results for ear protrusion, often under local anesthesia.

Treatment for Otoplasty

Washington, DC Surgeon M.R. Khalifeh offers surgical correction for protruding ears. The two treatments available are incisionless (less common, for more minor cases) and traditional otoplasty. Traditional otoplasty is done by accessing the ear cartilage from hidden retroauricular incision and manipulating the cartilages to the desired shape. Incisionless otoplasty uses specially inserted sutures to reshape the cartilage, especially the antihelical fold. The surgery can be done either with local anesthesia alone (Dr. Khalifeh’s Choice) or under general anesthesia if desired by younger or more anxious patients.

Not performed by Dr. Khalifeh, but a technique useful if the condition is caught in the first 2-3 weeks of life, is cartilage molding on the newborn with specialized splints.

Incisions for Otoplasty

An incision (which will leave a well-hidden scar) is required for most cases of severe setback. Correction of a lack of antihelical fold can be done via an incision-less suture technique adopted by M.R. Khalifeh.

Cost of Otoplasty

The cost of an otoplasty ranges from $7500-$8500 for adult cases done under local anesthesia. Pediatric cases done in hospital will run an additional $4,000 for hospital fees.

Otoplasty Recovery

You will need three days off of work, and you should be careful about touching your ear for two weeks postoperatively. A nighttime ear protector can be worn during those few weeks.

Otoplasty Demonstration

Before & After

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Ear Surgery Gallery

Causes of Ear Deformities

Protruding ears are congenital defects, meaning that an individual is born with the trait. Sometimes the issue is unilateral (one side only), and other times both ears are affected. The procedure would be called a set-back-otoplasty when done for that condition. Other ear conditions requiring reshaping otoplasty, such as cauliflower ear, can be acquired from repeated trauma such as in wrestling.

Why Choose DC Cosmetics and M.R. Khalifeh, MD

M.R. Khalifeh is one of the few Washington DC area Otoplasty Plastic Surgeons who is double board-certified by both the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He has over 12 years of experience performing otoplasty surgery. Our discussion starts with a complimentary consultation that can be scheduled below.