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Ear Tag Surgery

Ear tag surgery or ear pinning surgery are common terms used to describe a procedure called otoplasty. This plastic surgery procedure is growing in popularity with parents of small children who don’t want their child teased for having extremely large or misshaped ears. By attaching them closer to the head the appearance of the ears are altered.

  1. The Procedure

    • Otoplasty is a surgical procedure that is performed by a plastic surgeon while the patient is under general anesthetic. It can be completed in a hospital or a surgical center. Most patients require only a few days to recover from an otoplasty before returning to normal activity. The procedure of pinning or tagging ears is growing in popularity.

    Benefits

    • Otoplasty enables people to obtain a more uniformed and balanced appearance. Many individuals who have this procedure performed report benefiting from a boost in self-esteem and have increased confidence in how they look to others. For some, medical reasons such as a tumor has led to the necessity of the procedure. The benefits in these cases are improved health and confidence.

    Disadvantages

    • There are no guarantees that the results of the surgery will be what were expected. Some individuals don’t like their post-surgery ears any better and are disappointed. There are very few possibilities for reversing or changing the end result of an otoplasty procedure. The procedure can cause soreness and bruising around the ears during healing and recovery, and scars may not disappear altogether. There are several nerve endings around the ears and the procedure can result in patients experiencing numbness in the ears or face.

    Candidates

    • Otoplasty is not necessarily the answer for every person who doesn’t like the appearance of their ears. A plastic surgeon will consult with patients who are interested in the procedure and determine if it is necessary and safe to perform. However, the procedure has been performed on very young children to adults.

    Side Effects

    • Although it is uncommon to experience side effects after an otoplasty procedure, it is not impossible. The side effects that are most commonly documented are a throbbing in the ear and pain that is described as an ache around the ear. These side effects may or may not go away over time. If the side effects become worse over time, a doctor should be consulted.

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