Prominent ears may affect one or both sides. Ear folds, cartilage structure and pre-existing asymmetry influence the surgical plan. This page explains otoplasty, recovery, bandage use and possible unwanted outcomes.
What are prominent ears, and what does otoplasty change?
Prominent ears project noticeably away from the head. An underdeveloped inner fold, a prominent conchal bowl or the position of the earlobe can contribute to this appearance. One or both ears may be affected to different degrees.
Otoplasty reshapes ear cartilage and, when necessary, related tissues to adjust ear position. Cosmetic ear surgery is a broader term: ear size, earlobe concerns and other congenital shape differences may require a different operation.
Prominent ears alone do not imply hearing loss. Otoplasty is not an operation to improve hearing. Hearing difficulties, pain, discharge or ear canal symptoms require separate assessment.
Ear folds, projection and existing asymmetry
During examination, I assess the distance of the ears from the head, their upper, middle and lower parts, inner folds, conchal structure, earlobes and skin. Previous surgery, a history of keloids and injuries affect planning.
Most people's ears are not perfectly identical before surgery. The aim is not to pin them as tightly to the head as possible; overcorrection can also create an unwanted appearance. Projection and folds are planned individually. Perfect symmetry or an exact match to an ear in a photograph cannot be guaranteed.
Otoplasty in children and adults
For children, ear development, cartilage structure, the child's wishes and their ability to follow aftercare instructions are assessed. Surgery may generally be considered from around 5–6 years of age. Reaching this age does not automatically mean that surgery is appropriate.
Adults can also have otoplasty. Decisions depend on general health, cartilage, scarring tendency and expectations, as well as age. It is important to listen to children and avoid pressuring them into surgery.
My anaesthetic preference and surgical planning
I prefer local anaesthesia for suitable patients. The area around the ear is numbed by injection while the patient remains awake. Brief stinging or burning during the injection and pressure or pulling during surgery may be felt. Tell the team if you feel pain.
Age, cooperation, health and the extent of surgery may require a different anaesthetic plan. Young children in particular may need general anaesthesia. If sedation or general anaesthesia is planned, an anaesthetist assesses the patient. A preference for local anaesthesia does not mean it is used for everyone.
Discharge after surgery and anaesthesia depends on examination and observation. Suitable patients may be able to return home the same day; admission requirements depend on the individual plan.
How are prominent ears corrected?
The incision is usually planned behind the ear. Depending on the cause of prominence, shaping sutures may create the inner fold, other sutures may reposition a prominent concha, and cartilage reshaping or removal may be needed. Earlobe position may also require assessment.
Names such as Mustardé and Furnas describe different suture approaches. They are not a single operation that must be performed in the same way for every patient. Sutures, cartilage work and incision extent are selected according to examination findings.
After otoplasty, a dressing and bandage support the ears. The bandage helps protect against trauma and accidental folding; it does not guarantee the result on its own.
How long does otoplasty take?
In my practice, operating time is approximately 2–2.5 hours. Surgery on one or both ears, cartilage structure, the extent of asymmetry and previous operations can change this duration.
Marking, preparation, anaesthesia and postoperative observation require time in addition to the operation itself. The schedule for the day is planned accordingly.
Medicines, smoking and preparation
Report all medicines, including blood thinners, painkillers, herbal products and supplements, along with allergies, medical conditions and previous anaesthetic problems. Do not stop prescribed medication yourself. Any necessary adjustments are coordinated with the relevant doctors.
Smoking and nicotine adversely affect circulation and wound healing. Active ear or skin infection, uncontrolled illness or significant bleeding risk may require postponement. Tell the team about pregnancy or breastfeeding, poor scars or keloids, and previous ear procedures.
Hair and ear-area cleaning, fasting and arrangements for someone to accompany you are explained according to the anaesthetic plan. Inform the team if a new fever, infection or illness develops.
Next-day review and early recovery
I see my patient again the day after surgery. I assess the dressing and bandage, ear skin, swelling, pain and any signs of blood collection. Further reviews are planned according to wound condition.
Swelling, bruising, tightness, tenderness and numbness may occur in the first days. However, worsening severe pain, particularly on one side, or rapidly increasing swelling should not be assumed to be normal. Contact the team without waiting for the next-day appointment.
My bandage schedule: three months in total
In my follow-up plan, the bandage is worn day and night for the first month. After that month is complete, it is worn at night only during months two and three. The total bandage period is therefore three months.
The bandage should support the ear without folding it or applying excessive pressure. Contact the team for increasing pain, marked numbness, colour changes, dampness or an unpleasant smell beneath it. A tighter bandage does not mean a better result; pressure can cause wounds.
Dressing changes, cleaning and permitted brief removal are explained at review. Learn how to replace the bandage if it slips or becomes dirty. Wearing a bandage does not provide unlimited protection against injury or pressure from sleeping on the ear.
Stitches and the scar behind the ear
I remove skin stitches around day 10. Healing or an unexpected finding may require a change to the follow-up schedule. Attend your review; do not pull out the stitches yourself.
Skin stitches and the internal sutures supporting ear shape are different. If permanent internal sutures are used, removing the skin stitches does not mean those sutures are removed too. An internal suture may become palpable or work through the skin over time; this requires assessment.
Although the incision is usually behind the ear, it leaves a permanent scar. Visibility varies, and complete disappearance cannot be promised. Widened, raised, itchy or keloid scars may develop.
Work, school, exercise, showering, glasses and headphones
Light daily activities differ from exercise and activities that expose the ear to injury. Return to work or school depends on pain, swelling, bandage use, work demands and children's ability to follow aftercare. General sources may describe a return after about a week; individual review findings are decisive.
Permission to shower or wash your hair depends on the incision and dressing. Do not leave a wet or dirty bandage in place without seeking advice. Do not apply cosmetics to an open wound. Wait for healing and permission before hair dye, ear piercing or treatments affecting the incision area.
Avoid sleeping positions that fold the ears forward or press on the back of them. Glasses arms, tight clothing pulled over the head, helmets and over-ear headphones may place pressure or traction on the wound. Return to their use depends on the pressure point and healing.
Review is needed before returning to pools, the sea, contact sports and games that risk a blow to the ear. Completing the bandage schedule does not automatically mean that every activity is unrestricted.
When do results settle, and can the ears protrude again?
The shape seen during the first days, with swelling and dressings, is not the final result. Swelling resolution and tissue settling may take months. Assessment is generally more meaningful during the 2–6 month period; scars may continue to change for longer.
The ears may protrude again because of cartilage structure, healing, trauma or problems with supporting sutures. Recurrence can develop early or later. Perfect symmetry, lifelong maintenance of the same position or freedom from any need for revision cannot be guaranteed.
Additional treatment or revision may be needed for excessive or insufficient correction, sharp folds, ears appearing too close to the head or asymmetry at different levels. Revision carries its own risks.
Non-surgical correction, taping and suture techniques
Ear cartilage is more easily moulded during the newborn period. Early professional ear moulding may be a separate option for suitable babies, making assessment in the first weeks important. This does not mean a bandage can permanently correct ear shape at every age.
External taping cannot be said to permanently reshape the cartilage of an older child or adult. Adhesives may cause irritation or allergy. The bandage I prescribe after surgery is not a treatment for correcting adult ear prominence without surgery.
Terms such as suture otoplasty or incisionless ear correction can refer to different interventions. Placing sutures under the skin is still an invasive procedure and can cause infection, suture extrusion, asymmetry or recurrent prominence. The actual scope and limitations should be explained, rather than relying on the name.
Choosing no procedure is also an option. You are not obliged to have surgery simply because your ears are prominent.
Otoplasty risks and unwanted outcomes
Every medical intervention, procedure and operation carries risks. Depending on the intervention and the person's health, death, disability, and temporary and/or permanent unwanted functional and/or aesthetic outcomes may occur.
No medical intervention, procedure or operation guarantees that the patient's desired result or results will be achieved.
Risks do not all have the same frequency or severity. Technique, medical conditions, medicines, nicotine, previous surgery and healing affect risk. The headings below explain important risk groups; a personal examination and informed consent discussion are also necessary.
Bleeding, auricular haematoma and pressure problems
- Blood collection. Blood can collect around the ear cartilage beneath the skin. Sudden or worsening pain, one-sided swelling and firmness may require urgent assessment. Drainage, a drain, dressings or further surgery may be needed.
- Cartilage damage. An untreated haematoma may lead to infection, cartilage damage and permanent deformity. Not every swelling should be assumed to be simple postoperative swelling.
- Bandage pressure. An excessively tight or folded bandage can cause pressure wounds and impaired circulation, potentially leading to skin or tissue loss.
Infection, perichondritis and tissue loss
- Infection. Infection, discharge or an abscess may develop around the incision or sutures. Antibiotics, dressings and surgical cleaning may be needed.
- Infection around the cartilage. Perichondritis and cartilage infection can be serious, causing cartilage loss, permanent deformity and a need for reconstruction.
- Wound healing. Wound separation, delayed healing, skin loss or cartilage necrosis may require prolonged care and further surgery.
Sutures and material-related problems
- Suture loosening or breakage. The ear fold or position may change, causing recurrent prominence or asymmetry.
- Palpable sutures or extrusion. An internal knot may be felt, irritate the skin or work through it. Partial or complete removal of the suture and additional treatment may be required.
- Foreign body reaction. A granuloma, small wound, tenderness or reaction to the material may develop. Cutting or pulling a suture yourself may cause infection or loss of shape.
Asymmetry, overcorrection and recurrent prominence
- Insufficient or excessive correction. The ear may remain more prominent than expected or appear too tightly pinned to the head. Uneven correction of its upper, middle and lower portions can create a telephone-ear contour.
- Fold and contour irregularity. Sharp, angular or irregular folds, indentations, level differences or unwanted changes in earlobe position may develop.
- Asymmetry and recurrence. Existing differences may persist or new ones may develop. Cartilage structure, suture problems, healing or trauma can cause the ear to protrude again.
- Revision. Further intervention may be needed for shape, scars or functional problems. Revision cannot guarantee perfect equality or the desired result either.
Permanent scars, sensory changes and pain
- Unwanted scarring. Scars behind the ear may be wide, discoloured, indented, raised or itchy. Hypertrophic scars and keloids may develop, and scar problems may persist despite further treatment.
- Changes in sensation. Temporary or permanent numbness, increased sensitivity, tingling and sensitivity to cold may occur.
- Persistent pain or discomfort. Pain related to sutures, scars or nerves and sensitivity to pressure may persist, requiring assessment and further treatment.
Anaesthesia, medicines and serious systemic events
- Local anaesthesia. Injection pain, fainting, allergy or local anaesthetic toxicity may occur. Toxicity can cause ringing in the ears, numbness around the mouth, seizures, abnormal heart rhythms and serious heart or breathing problems.
- When sedation or general anaesthesia is used. Respiratory depression, aspiration, nausea or vomiting, airway or dental injury, lung problems and other anaesthetic risks require separate assessment. Choosing local anaesthesia does not eliminate every risk.
- Medicines and materials. Antibiotics, painkillers, anaesthetics, sutures, adhesives or antiseptics may cause allergies or side effects. A severe allergic reaction may require emergency treatment.
- Serious systemic events. Blood clots or embolism, heart attack, stroke, permanent loss of function, disability and death are possible. Likelihood varies with health, anaesthesia and surgical scope; emergency intervention or intensive care may be required.
Which symptoms should not wait?
Contact the team without delay for worsening severe pain, particularly on one side, rapidly increasing swelling, excessive bleeding, fever, foul-smelling discharge or pus, or whitening/darkening of the ear. Report marked pressure beneath the bandage too. Do not wait for your scheduled review.
For shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting, altered consciousness or a severe allergic reaction with tongue/throat swelling, seek emergency care or call 112 in Türkiye.
This page does not replace a personal examination or an informed consent discussion. Reading it does not give consent to surgery or image sharing.
Frequently asked questions about otoplasty
What are prominent ears?
They are ears that project noticeably away from the head. The inner fold, concha and earlobe position can contribute to the appearance.
Are otoplasty and cosmetic ear surgery the same?
Otoplasty refers to surgery that adjusts ear shape and position. Prominent ear correction is included, while earlobe or ear-size concerns may require a different plan.
Does otoplasty improve hearing?
It is not an operation to improve hearing. Prominent ears alone do not imply hearing loss; hearing concerns need separate assessment.
At what age can otoplasty be considered?
Generally from around 5–6 years of age, depending on ear development, the child's wishes, cooperation and health. Adults can also have surgery.
Can adults have prominent ear correction?
Yes, suitable adults may be considered for surgery. Cartilage, general health and expectations are assessed.
Can just one ear be operated on?
This may be considered if the concern is one-sided. Both ears are examined together; perfect equality with the other ear cannot be guaranteed.
Do you perform otoplasty under local anaesthesia?
Local anaesthesia is my preference for suitable patients. Age, cooperation, health and the extent of surgery may require a different plan.
Will I feel pain during surgery?
The injection may sting or burn; pressure or pulling may be felt after numbing. Tell the team if you feel pain so that anaesthetic adequacy can be assessed.
How many hours does otoplasty take?
In my practice, approximately 2–2.5 hours. Surgery on one or both ears, tissue characteristics and previous operations can change the duration.
Will I need to stay in hospital?
Suitable patients may be able to go home the same day after observation. Discharge or admission depends on anaesthesia, surgical scope and overall condition.
When is the first review?
I see my patient again the next day, assessing pain, dressings, the bandage, skin and swelling. Do not wait for that appointment if pain or swelling increases rapidly.
How many months should the bandage be worn?
My schedule is three months in total: day and night for the first month, then at night only for the following two months.
Can daytime bandage use stop after the first month?
In my schedule, night-time use continues during months two and three after the first month is complete. Wound and review findings may require an individual adjustment.
Is a very tight bandage better?
No. Excessive pressure may impair skin circulation and cause wounds. Contact the team for increasing pain, numbness or colour changes.
Will the ear immediately protrude if I remove the bandage?
Brief removal does not automatically mean loss of shape, but you should follow the prescribed schedule. Removal for cleaning and dressings is explained individually. A bandage does not eliminate recurrence risk.
When are sutures removed?
I remove skin stitches around day 10. Healing may require a change to follow-up; do not remove the stitches yourself.
Are the internal shaping sutures removed too?
Skin stitches differ from internal supporting sutures. Permanent internal sutures, if used, are not removed during routine skin stitch removal. A palpable or extruding suture needs examination.
Will there be a scar behind the ear?
Yes, an incision leaves a permanent scar, usually behind the ear. It cannot be promised to be completely invisible or scarless. Raised scars and keloids may develop.
Will both ears be perfectly symmetrical?
Perfect symmetry cannot be guaranteed. Existing differences may persist, and new differences can develop during healing or over time.
Could the ears look too tightly pinned back?
Overcorrection can create this appearance. The goal is an appropriate angle and fold, rather than the maximum possible setback.
Can the ears protrude again after otoplasty?
Yes. Cartilage, suture problems, healing and trauma can cause early or late recurrence. Revision may be needed.
When does swelling resolve and the result settle?
Swelling may decrease in the first weeks; shape assessment is generally more meaningful within 2–6 months. Scars can change for longer, and the early appearance is not the final result.
Is pain normal after surgery?
Some tenderness and pain may occur. However, worsening severe pain on one side, firmness or rapid swelling can suggest a problem such as a haematoma and requires prompt assessment.
When can I return to work or school?
Pain, swelling, bandage use and work/school conditions are assessed together. General sources describe about a week, but individual review and protection requirements determine the plan.
When can I shower or wash my hair?
Permission depends on the incision and dressing. Learn how to protect the bandage and wound at your first review; seek advice if the dressing becomes wet or dirty.
Can I sleep on my ears?
Avoid pressure on the operated ear or positions that fold it during early recovery. Support and sleeping advice are explained individually.
Can I wear glasses, headphones or a helmet?
They may press on the incision or pull the ear. Return depends on pressure points and healing. A bandage does not provide complete protection against them.
How long should I wait before sport or swimming?
Permission depends on wound closure, injury risk and review findings. Contact sports and activities that may fold the ear can require longer protection.
Can taping permanently correct prominent ears without surgery?
Early professional moulding in newborns is a separate matter. External taping cannot guarantee permanent cartilage reshaping in older children or adults and may cause irritation or allergy.
Is suture ear correction non-invasive and risk-free?
Placing sutures beneath the skin is an invasive procedure. Infection, extrusion, asymmetry and recurrence can occur. Scope and limitations should be explained.
I have had ear surgery before. Can I have revision?
Previous incisions, internal sutures, cartilage and skin are assessed. Revision may be considered for recurrent prominence, asymmetry or scarring, but can have different limitations and risks from the first operation.
What affects otoplasty costs?
Surgery on one or both ears, the extent of cartilage correction, previous operations, anaesthesia, the treatment setting and follow-up affect cost. Individual fees are explained after assessment.
What affects the cost of otoplasty?
When considering otoplasty costs in Antalya, the number of ears treated, cartilage reshaping, revision requirements, anaesthesia, the surgical setting and follow-up should all be taken into account.
Different scopes may be offered under the names otoplasty or cosmetic ear surgery. Your surgical plan, reviews and fees are explained after examination. A technique name alone does not provide sufficient information about outcomes or risks.
References
This page combines the surgeon's preference for local anaesthesia, an operating time of approximately 2–2.5 hours, next-day review, stitch removal around day 10 and a three-month bandage schedule with relevant information in his supplied consent form and the institutional sources below. The individual follow-up plan takes precedence over general aftercare timelines in those sources.
Last updated: 27 October 2026.
- Otoplasty (Prominent Ear Correction) Patient Information and Consent Form — relevant clinical information in the document supplied by the surgeon has been used.
- ASPS — Ear Surgery / Otoplasty ↗
- ASPS — Ear Surgery: Risks and Safety ↗
- Mayo Clinic — Otoplasty ↗
- NHS — Ear Correction Surgery ↗
- ISAPS — Ear Surgery ↗