Prominent ears, commonly known as bat ears, arise when there is failure of the anti helical fold to develop. The anti-helical fold is the natural fold of the ear that is flat in patients with bat ears. The aim of surgery is to recreate this fold and bend the sticking out part of ear backwards.
The surgery to correct sticking out ears is called pinnaplasty or otoplasty. Pinnaplasty involved making a long incision on the back of the ear and then scoring the cartilage or using stitches to fold back the cartilage. Patients would often need to wear a dressing for about a week following prominent ear surgery or otoplasty.
The Earfold device is a novel method of prominent ear correction. This technique uses a gold plated clip that is placed under the skin on the front of the ear. This procedure is performed under a local anaesthetic and takes a fraction of the time to do compared to traditional pinnaplasty. Patients do not need the significant head bandage commonly used after otoplasty. There will be some bruising that usually settles within 1-2 weeks.
Mr. Reza Nassab, consultant plastic surgeon, now offers this procedure in Wilmslow, Cheshire, Birmingham and London. “I have been performing traditional pinnaplasty for several years and this new technique has changed how I treat prominent ears. Existing methods would often be unpredictable with risks of recurrence of the prominence. The Earfold allows patients to see how things would look using the prefold during their initial consultation. Patients frequently take a picture to think over things and then return for the procedure. I am amazed by the rapid recovery following the Earfold and high levels of patient satisfaction” says Mr Nassab.
A study from Mr Nobert Kang, the developer of this technique, was published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. This research showed the benefits of this device in the treatment of patients with prominent ears.
If you are considering surgery for your ears then book your consultation with Mr Nassab to discuss the latest in ear correction surgery. Call now on 07955015150 or use our contact form.
