Can someone recommend a good surgeon for otoplasty?

Otoplasty (surgery for repositioning protruding ears) can be a very gratifying procedure for the patient and surgeon. Taking away the stress of ears that protrude and create social anxiety is a good thing!  Finding a surgeon who is experienced in this procedure is important. Board certification is one attribute which is usually helpful: surgeons certified by these  boards generally would perform most otoplasties.  (1)  American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (AFFPRS) (2) American Board of Otolaryngology (ABOto) and/or  (3) American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) Board certification is helpful but just as important would be the rapport each patient finds in a face-to-face consultation with that surgeon. Asking questions, discussing the risks of each procedure, and feeling comfortable with that surgeon are vital. 

Which surgeon one should recommend to you depends on which method you would like your ears pinned with. On the one hand, there are numerous surgeons pinning ears with the traditional methods, whereby the ear is cut open over a large area, the cartilage is exposed and often resected at some places. A piece of skin is also often removed from the back of the ear. On the other hand, there is nowadays the gentle, minimally invasive stitch method, by which the ear is no longer cut open and the result can be checked and co-determined in a mirror. As far as I know, there still aren’t any surgeons in the USA operating with the stitch method.

You should search for a board certified experienced plastic surgeon that has pictures of previous procedures as well as some patients reviews prior to scheduling a consultation then see few surgeon and choose the one you felt the most comfortable with. Search on the ASPS, ASAPS or the ABPS boards.Good luck!

I would suggest starting with the American Society of Plastic Surgery and/or the Aesthetic Society of Plastic Surgery to obtain a list of well experienced board-certified plastic surgeons.
Then, I would suggest you visit a few surgeons whose practices concentrate on aesthetic surgery. Ask to see lots of examples of their work and preferably speak/see patients who have had similar procedures done.

Be very careful with your decision-making. You will find, while doing your due diligence, that there are many different “specialties” who will offer their services to you; again, I strongly recommend you concentrate on surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. I hope this, and the attached link, helps.
Best wishes.

Hi and thanks for your question. Look for a surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery who has a lot of experience with facial surgery. Good luck.Richard Chaffoo, MD, FACS, FICSTriple Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

 Look for a surgeon who has  a large portfolio of before and after results in their photo gallery on their website.  To set the ears back requires permanent sutures placed behind the ears to recreate the anti-helical fold, in addition to setting the entire ear backwards to the scalp.  The otoplasty procedure can be performed under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure.