I’ve heard ear surgery is often performed on children

Question:
I’ve heard ear surgery is often performed on children. I wish I’d had it as a kid because I was always teased and called Dumbo. I’m an adult now and my ears still bother me. Is it possible to have surgery now?

Answer:
Traditionally ear surgery is performed on children because the ear stops growing around the age of 5 years and the social stigmata associated with larger ears will begin around the same time. I spent 10 years in the US Army and performed numerous otoplasty procedures on adults who never had access to this specialized medical care or did not realize that prominent ears could be fixed. The results of otoplasty on an adult are equivalent to otoplasty performed on children.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld