This month’s Featured Patient shows the result of Otoplasty surgery for the treatment of prominent ears. The condition occurs due to a failure of the antihelical fold (the crease that forms along the outer 1/3 of the ear) to form completely when a baby undergoes its development inside the mother’s womb. The child then develops prominent or protruding ears which “stick out” from the head further than they should. Treatment can be performed as early as age 5 to 6, when the child begins to experience peer ridicule for their unattractive ears. Treatment may also be performed later in life, such as with this month’s patient. Surgery involves the creation of an antihelical fold with sutures inserted through an incision hidden on the back of the ear, which results in an inconspicuous scar. The results of this surgery are dramatic and life changing from a physical and emotional perspective.
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