I Am a Amateur Boxer, I Recently Had an Ear Pinning Otoplasty. It's Been 6 Months, Can I Box Again?

    Boxing is never a recommended activity by doctors and the ears can be traumatized with hematoma or possible disruption of prominent ear correction.  Kenneth Hughes, MD ear pinning otoplasty Los Angeles, CA

Thanks for the question. After 6 weeks your surgery area is totally healed and yes you can do boxing and also do other activities. I wish you all the best.

When surgery has been performed to help reposition ears that protrude to far (otoplasty), there needs to be adequate healing time before one subjects those ears to additional trauma such as contact sports. Healing proceeds in everyone for many months, and typically by 4-5 months collagen (scar tissue) is reasonably strong. But some sports are more risky than others and it would be wise to avoid injuring any facial feature (nose, mouth, eyes, ears, etc) if possible. Volleyball would usually be less risky than soccer which is less risky than boxing.  Blows to the ear which are commonly seen in boxing, wrestling and MMA, can permanently injure cartilage of the ear, resulting in a buildup of too much scar, known as "cauliflower ear".  So weigh the risks versus benefits of activities that are very physical. If the rewards of the contact sports exceed the pain of physical injury, then that person will continue with the sport. If one decides that preservation of one's face is more important, then an alternate sport will be found. 

 The otoplasty procedure involves cuts in the cartilage and  permanent suturing to hold the ears in place. Boxing can disrupt the sutures and previous surgery and is ill advised since it will leave deformities. Boxing can also cause cauliflower ear if left untreated.   It is best to find another sport.

While being six months after otoplasty is plenty of time to have good healing, you must realize that boxing will pose lifelong risks to your ears whether you have had otoplasty or not. (even though you are unlikely to box the rest of your life) The risk is one of hematoma which can create scarring and cartilage deformity. The ear that has undergone otoplasty may be more prone to this concern in the first year after surgery.