Otoplasty as a Child vs. Otoplasty as an Adult?

Question:

I’ve heard that it’s harder to sculpt the ears in older patients. Does this mean that if you choose to undergo otoplasty as an adult you will not get as good of a result as if you had surgery as a child?

Answer:

Cartilage in an adult ear is certainly a lot more stiff than that found in a child’s ear. The cartilage is somewhat more difficult to sculpt in the otoplasty of an adult but with proper technique, the ear cartilages can be molded into the appropriate shape and if there is a prominence to the ears, the ears will need to be set back so that the ears look entirely normal without any significant sequel of surgical alteration of the ears.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld