Otoplasty Procedure: Incisionless Otoplasty Vs. Traditional Method

Incisionless otoplasty is a great method of reshaping prominent ears. It is not the method of choice in all patients, but I tend to use it in a majority of patients with excellent and long lasting results. Otoplasty has been divided in the past into cartilage cutting or scoring techniques or into molding techniques. The latter involves the placement of permanent stitches to mold the cartilage of the ear into the desired shape and set back the ear against the skull. The incisionless... more

The incisionless approach is attractive but offers less reliable long term results. When this is done you are totally dependent on the sutures to hold the look that you want most of the time. When you do it open, you allow the skin to take on the new form and scar tissue helps to make the changes more permanent. It can be done for minor changes but when your ear requires significant alterations the open approach is still minimally invasive and can be done without general anesthesia and... more

What do you mean by incisionless otoplasty? I have heard of two different procedures: The first is neonatal molding, popularized in Japan, where special splints are made for newborn infants to "mold" the ears into place. This is only effective while maternal estrogens are circulating in the fetal bloodstream and make the infant ear cartilage supple. The other is the use of small Virutally invisible "stab" incisions in the ear in which permanent stitches are placed to... more

As you might suspect, so-called "incision-less" otoplasty involves multiple tiny incisions to try to accomplish what experienced plastic surgeons and facial plastic surgeons do through the usual otoplasty incision behind the ear. This "blind approach" can work in a small subset of carefully-selected otoplasty patients, but mostly incisionless otoplasty is marketing hype. There are a lot of anatomic considerations to a properly-performed... more

Incisionless otoplasty has a high failure rate.  The ear cartilage tends to slowly stretch the sutures and move the ear back to its original position.  This can also happen with a regular otoplasty but is much less likely because with the open technique, it is your body's own tissues that hold the ear in place after a couple months, not the sutures.  The question really is, why even bother with the incisionless technique.  The open technique usually results in... more

The best method for you depends completely on each ear. In our practice, when patients present for an otoplasty they usually have two different ears. Their ears may vary in shape, position, and size. If you are only interested in changing the contour of the ear or the rim, and incisionless otoplasty may be all that's necessary. However, if you would like your ears set back, a small incision behind your ear in the crease where your ear meets your scalp is necessary.   more

The procedure for the otoplasty depends on the kind of problem. The reason that most plastic surgeon do not offer incisionless otoplasty is because it only works on younger patients . After age 6 the cartilage is more firm and calissified and will reguire surgical correction

There are two otoplasy techniques that are called incisionless Otoplasty. One the the used of a plastic mould which is placed on the ear of a baby or very young child when the ear cartilage is very soft and malleable. This technique can have difficulties in maintaining the moulds in place, may cause undue pressure on the skin of the ear and has a high rate of recurrence of the deformity. The other, that is sometimes called incisionless otoplasty, actually uses... more

The incision-less technique for otoplasty is ideal for children or for adults that have soft and malleable ear cartilages. For most adults the traditional technique is better and the scar being behind the ear is of no consequence.