Ear correction

Protruding or prominent ears, often called ‘jug ears’, are caused by a deformity in the ear muscle. In many cases, the cartilage has simply grown too large, pushing the ear away from the head somewhat. In other cases, however, it could be that a fold in the ear – the so-called ‘antihelical fold’ – is not as pronounced as it should be. As a result, the ear doesn’t lie as flat against the head as other people’s do.

In ear correction surgery, we can adjust how the ear sits and reduce the size of oversized earlobes. The surgical method used depends on the deformity in question as well as the patient’s wishes.

At Central Aesthetics, we offer the anterior open ear correction

In anterior open ear correction, the surgeon makes an incision in the fold at the front of the ear ridge. Lifting the skin then enables them to access all necessary structures in the ear, and allows them to adapt the cartilage as necessary. If the ear muscle is too large, it can be reduced in size and then held in place with sutures. The location of the resulting scars means they are barely noticeable later.

Before performing the ear correction, we hold an in-depth consultation with you. In this meeting, you receive important information about the procedure itself, as well as on aftercare and potential risks. The doctor works together with you to produce an individual treatment plan that corresponds to your individual circumstances and wishes.

Here at Central Aesthetics, we carry out the operation as an outpatient procedure under local anaesthetic. The precise details of the procedure depend on the surgical technique used. In open ear correction, the surgeon makes an incision in the anterior fold of the ear. This allows them to lift parts of the skin away from the cartilage and shape the ear muscle as required. The incisions are sutured using absorbable surgical thread, which means they don’t need to be removed.

After a traditional ear correction procedure, a bandage will be placed on the ear and must be worn for 2 days. You can leave the practice again straight after the procedure.

After the ears have been repositioned, you will be given a bandage that can be removed after two days. To begin with, you should also wear a headband when getting dressed and undressed and when sleeping. This headband provides added protection for the treated areas during the healing phase. You can sleep on the side on which the ear correction was carried out straight away. However, many patients avoid doing so to begin with.

Nowadays, ear correction surgery is routine and generally very low-risk. As with all surgeries, on rare occasions patients may develop infections which can be treated very effectively with antibiotics.

It’s very rare for protruding ears to develop again after ear correction surgery. This could conceivably occur, for example, if the sutures make their way through the cartilage and result in increased pressure on the ear.

At present, there is no long-lasting solution for protruding ears that does not involve surgery.

The costs for ear correction surgery are about 3,800 EUR. The precise costs involved depend on the scope of treatment and the selected surgical method.