Ear Surgery

Overview

Most ear surgeries are performed to correct a deformity present at birth, such as protruding ears, "lop ears," the absence of an opening to the middle ear, or the absence of the entire ear.

These conditions generally don’t affect hearing. But plastic surgery can greatly improve a person's self-esteem and confidence.

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UR Medicine's Approach

Our surgeons perform several types of ear surgery:

Otoplasty, or "pinning back" the ears, is often performed when a person's ears stick out more than 4/5 of an inch from their head. This outpatient procedure takes about two hours and causes only minor discomfort. This procedure can be performed on children as young as 5 or 6.

Ear Deformities, such as "lop ear," can be corrected by creating a fold and using stitches to prop up the ear. Infants born without an opening in their middle ear can have the opening surgically created, and the outer ear formed to look like the other ear. In addition, people who are born without an ear can have an artificial one attached for cosmetic reasons.

Minor injuries, such as torn earlobes, can also be surgically corrected with a simple procedure performed in a doctor's office.

Stapedectomy, or stapes surgery, treats hearing loss caused by abnormal bone growth in the ear (otosclerosis). An ear, nose, and throat physician will remove a small bone called the stapes from the middle ear and replace it with a prosthetic bone.

Tympanoplasty is a common reconstructive surgery for repairing a hole in the eardrum.

Other types of ear surgery include cochlear implants and surgery for chronic ear infections (such as ventilation tubes), as well as procedures for Ménière Disease, superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS), and tumors of the ear and temporal bone.

What Sets Us Apart?

UR Medicine Otolaryngologists (ENT physicians) are trained in nonsurgical and surgical treatments. Our specialists perform hundreds of procedures and surgeries every year, so patient care is always in the hands of well-practiced experts.

In fact, as part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, our physicians are exposed to more complex conditions and unusual complications than most physicians in the area.

Many physicians are also involved in research to find new treatments for ENT-related diseases. All of our doctors are board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology.