Jeffrey Cone, MD

Incisions are key and need to be well-hidden.  The best place to do this, as you mentioned, is using the fine crease in front of and behind the ears.  Even the jump from the back of the ear to the scalp and along the hairline is done in a way that camouflages things.


That said, each patient is unique and facial features need to be taken into effect-- for instance, if someone wears her/his hair very short or if the ears are prominent, then special care is needed to camouflage the scar.  In Austin, many of our patients love spending time at the lake, and hiding scars is all the more important.  Best of luck on your journey.   

This is a common question, and your suspicion is correct-- surgery is the only way to reliably and permanently flatten the ears.  That said, surgery is less involved than many would think.  Our practice commonly performs it in the office under local anesthesia, and post-op requirements are straight forward.  Best of luck, Katelyn.




Jeffrey Cone, Jr., MD

Wellspring Craniofacial Group

Infants ears can be molded in order to reduce the size, but after about 4 wks of age, surgery is the best and only way to reduce the size.  While no one likes to hear the "s word" (i.e., "surgery"), its worth a consultation with a plastic surgeon, as the procedure itself may not require general anesthesia and the recovery is likely less involved than most patients would expect. Best of luck.

The key otoplasty equation is: Great result + Reasonable costs Happy patient.  The average cost for bilateral otoplasty at our practice is $4000, and we keep this cost controlled by performing the majority of our otoplasties in a procedure room in our office under local anesthesia.  This saves the cost of anesthesia and the cost of the surgery center.  If a patient prefers anesthesia, then we are happy to move to the surgery center and the cost increases to around $6000. Best of luck.  

Two things to help you: 1) it is atypical to experience soreness and scabbing years later.  2) there is likely a cause that can be easily treated (such as a retained suture).  So, take heart, and schedule an appointment with a plastic surgeon who routinely performs ear pinning.