Correction of protruding ears
Protruding ears, colloquially known as 'flop ears', are a frequently occurring abnormality. Due to a congenital malformation of the cartilage of the auricle, the outer ear is further away from the skull, which does not have a negative effect on hearing, but has a considerable impact on self-image.
Children are often bullied at school because of it, but adults can also feel very unhappy about it.
In adults, the procedure can be performed under local anesthesia. In (small) children, full anesthesia is usually chosen. Usually, a child undergoes surgery when he or she indicates that his or her ears are a problem, at the earliest from the age of 6.
Because the incision is made behind the auricle, the scar is barely visible. The surgeon will shape the cartilage and remove some of the cartilage if necessary. The procedure takes about 90 minutes.
A special bandage is applied to keep the ears in the correct position. It is very important that this bandage remains on the ears for a week. After a week, it is sufficient to wear a headband only at night for a month.
Practical
The treatment is performed under local anesthesia with a sedative injection. For small children, full anesthesia is preferred.
After a procedure under local anesthesia, you can rest in a relax chair while we cool you down with a cold compress. Then you can go home (with your driver!).
After a procedure under full anesthesia, you will first go to the recovery room and, if you are awake enough, to your room in the day clinic. In the late afternoon you can go home to rest there
You will receive a letter with advice on how to recover as well and as quickly as possible.
You will be given an appointment to have the stitches removed after one week.
The result
After the bandage and stitches are removed, the ears may still be a little red, swollen and tender. We recommend sleeping with a headband for another month.
The final result is visible after about 3 months, when the scars behind the auricles have faded to barely visible white lines.