Otopexy Frankfurt

Causes of protruding ears

There are two rules of thumb:

• If there is an angle of more than 30 degrees between the pinna and the skull bone, the ears are protruding.
• If the distance between the edge of the ear and the head is greater than 2.8 cm, this is also referred to as protruding ears.

There are various reasons that can be responsible for this deviation. In most cases, the main fold of the auricle (anthelix fold) is malformed - or it is barely present or not present at all. It is also possible that the inner ear cartilage is conchoidal in shape, causing the ears to protrude from the head. If the ear cavity is generally too large or the earlobes protrude, this can also lead to "sail ears".

Protruding ears are usually genetic. Children inherit the shape and relief of their ears from their parents, just like the shape of their nose or mouth, for example.

Otopexy Frankfurt: How ear correction works

At our Goethe10 practice clinic in Frankfurt, we can remove protruding ears using a procedure known as otopexy. During the procedure, you will lie on your back with your head slightly elevated. We disinfect your face and hairline and cover everything except the area to be operated on with sterile cloths.

For ear correction, we make an incision behind your ear to gain access to your ear cartilage, which we thin out using a special surgical instrument. In this way, we bring the ear into the desired position. We secure the newly formed cartilage with self-dissolving sutures and close the incision inconspicuously with a self-dissolving suture.

We will be happy to discuss how we can apply the ears in your individual case in a personal consultation.

Otopexy Frankfurt: At what age can you have your ears pinned?

Parents of children who have significantly protruding ears often consider having an otopexy performed on their offspring while they are still at pre-school. They want to protect their daughter or son from teasing and insults. In principle, an ear correction can be performed from the age of four to six. At this age, the cartilage has reached around 70 per cent of its size. It is also firm enough to be corrected.

Of course, surgery can also be performed in adolescence or later. If the patient is in good health, there is no upper age limit.

Note on otopexy in children: Do not decide over the child's head

Even if otopexy is possible at a young age, you should not have your child operated on "just like that". From a psychological point of view, it is advisable not to go ahead with the operation until the child actively wants it.

If the child is not suffering, it is neither ethically justifiable nor legally permitted to perform an ear correction on them. This means that we do not operate on children at the sole request of their parents.