Ear Reshaping (Otoplasty)

Dr. Paul M. Gardner gained considerable experience in ear reshaping while serving as Director of Pediatric Plastic Surgery at a children’s hospital, while Dr. Leo M. Baccaro trained at the prestigious Houston Methodist Hospital. Ear reshaping is one of the most frequently requested plastic surgery procedures for children. Dr. Gardner and Dr. Baccaro take pride in helping patients throughout the Naples area meet their cosmetic goals by altering the size and/or shape of the ears to achieve a more aesthetically pleasing and balanced look.

Dr. Gardner, Dr. Baccaro, Dr. Walsh, and Dr. Bonett firmly believe that every cosmetic surgery procedure should be tailored to meet the individual concerns and goals of the patient. Thus, they always meets with each of their respective otoplasty patients to evaluate their ears and discuss their concerns and goals for the procedure. Using this information, they create a personalized treatment plan that is unique to each patient.

Naples Plastic Surgery offers two distinct otoplasty techniques. The first technique begins with a small incision in the back of the ear, followed by surgical extraction and reshaping of the cartilage in order to pull the ears closer to the head. The second technique maintains the cartilage but extracts excess skin and uses sutures to shape the cartilage to help patients with prominent ears. In addition to cartilage and/or skin extraction, Dr. Gardner, Dr. Baccaro, Dr. Walsh, and Dr. Bonett may use non-removable stitches in order to help the ears heal properly in their new position.

Our cosmetic surgeons also treat patients with malformed ears that have been damaged due to trauma. To ensure symmetry, they often performs otoplasty on both ears, even if only one ear has been damaged.

Following the procedure, Dr. Gardner, Dr. Baccaro, Dr. Walsh, or Dr. Bonett will dress patients’ heads in thick bandages in order to minimize swelling and promote quicker recovery periods. Patients are typically able to remove the dressings after one to two days, and need one to two weeks of downtime before returning to their daily activities.