What Is Otoplasty?
Procedure Cost
Ear Pinning (Otoplasty)
$ 5,640 - 6,615*
*Price listed is an estimate.
Ear surgery, also known as otoplasty, is a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure that can correct ear defects. It can also correct ears that are misshaped from an accident or injury.
One common ear surgery is ear pinning, which sets prominent ears (ears that stick out) closer to the head. Otoplasty can also reduce the size of larger ears.
What Causes Prominent Ears?
Ears may be prominent in three different areas:
- the upper,
- middle, or
- lower third.
People may have prominent ears because they have extra cartilage, because their cartilage sits in the wrong place in their ear, or because their ear cartilage didn’t fold correctly when their ear was forming as a baby.
Ear Pinning for Adults & Children
Ear pinning is a procedure that can be performed on both children or adults. Correcting a child’s ear shape when they’re young can positively affect their self-esteem.
But you can have ear pinning surgery at any time in your life—even if you’re an adult. Some adults decide that ear pinning will help them feel more confident in their personal and professional relationships.
Our plastic surgeons can also repair ears that may have been surgically corrected in the past, but done by less qualified surgeons.
To consult one of our plastic and reconstructive surgery specialists, feel free to contact us and learn about your options for a better you.
Ear Pinning Without Surgery For Children
Some babies have ears that look mostly normal and look similar to how other babies’ ears look. If your baby has only a small amount of deformity in her ear, doctors may be able to correct the ear through non-surgical molding techniques.
But in order for molding to be successful, treatment must be started in the first 2 weeks of your baby’s life.
When molding is not a possibility, your specialist may recommend surgery. During surgery, your child’s doctor may remove extra cartilage and create a normal ear fold that your child doesn’t have. This is known as ear pinning.
For most children, ear pinning is not very painful or risky and generally produces good results.
