Does Sorribes Ear Method Work?

Question

The other day I came across the following website advertising something called the Sorribes Ear Method. It says its an alternative to surgery and can correct adults ears over the course of several months, much like braces correct teeth. It seems a bit too good to be true so I was wondering whether you think this product works, and whether this is backed up with much scientific research.

David C. Pearson, MD · Answer

The earliest attempts to correct prominent ears were in fact non-surgical...but they didn't work. In the 1890s a Dr. Monks was one of the first to try such splinting and published his results indicating a lack of any improvement. We've subsequently found, through numerous studies of elastic cartilage (which the ear is made of), that cartilage has tremendous "memory" and wants to spring back to its original shape. The only exception here is with newborn babies where immediate corrective splinting in the first two to three days of life may minimize an undesirable shape to the ear. I'd be pretty skeptical of this method where there is only a single reference in the scientific literature for this particular method (in 2002) and it was conducted by Dr. Sorribes himself.

	A more thorough review of non-surgical otoplasty can be found in this journal article:

	van Wijk MP, Breugem CC, Kon M. Non-surgical correction of congenital
	deformities of the auricle: a systematic review of the literature. J Plast
	Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2009 Jun;62(6):727-36

	 

	All the best,

	--DCP

	Pearson Facial Plastic Surgery®

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Only surgery will be able to correct an adult's ears.Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of facial and ear correction surgeries each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Stephen Weber MD, FACS · Answer

In my experience this type of non-surgical ear molding works in babies right after delivery. Kids older than a couple of weeks and adults usually do not have the same response to ear molding. Otoplasty is typically required during which the ears are repositiioned and the natural folds are created by selectively weaking specific cartilage surface and using permanent sutures to hold the ear shape. This is similar to an internal fixation which is hidden beneath the skin resulting in permanent reshaping of the ear. I hope this information is helpful.

	Stephen Weber MD, FACS

Does Sorribes Ear Method Work?

Answers (3)