Bring Protruding Ears Closer to the Head
Whether or not you were teased at school, you know one thing about elementary, junior high and high school kids — they can be relentless. And at this point in a child’s development, this kind of abuse can really damage the self-esteem going forward. Having ears that protrude is an especially easy target for teasing.
Plus, the insecurity doesn’t somehow end with school; protruding ears can still bother even the most self-confident adult.
Dr. Gurley offers otoplasty, ear surgery, to correct a variety of conditions with the ears: protruding ears, overly large ears, large or stretched earlobes, wrinkled or creased lobes, lop ear, and shell ears.
The surgery
In most cases, otoplasty is a simple procedure. For children, the surgery is recommended between the ages of five and 14, as the ears are usually fully developed by age five and doing the procedure prior to high school is advisable. Dr. Gurley usually makes the incisions behind the ears. From those incisions, she removes a small amount of cartilage. With that cartilage removed, the remaining cartilage is folded and sutured into place, pulling the ears closer to the head. Because the incisions are made behind the ears, they are virtually invisible. However, in other cases, incisions may need to be made on the front of the ears, particularly in re-shaping surgeries. If this is necessary, Dr. Gurley tries to hide the incisions in the natural folds and creases of the ears.
Who can have otoplasty
While otoplasty is normally performed on children, it isn’t a difficult surgery for adults, either. If you should have had your ears pinned as a child but didn’t, the surgery is still available as an adult. Overly large or heavy earrings can also cause torn earlobes, which can be fixed with otoplasty.
If your child’s ears protrude enough to be an issue, call Dr. Gurley at (636) 812-4300 and set up a consultation so you can see what your options are.