Otoplasty

If you are here because your child is unhappy about their ears, or is being teased at school, this section is for you.

On timing. Ear growth is largely complete by around age five or six. Surgery is generally possible from age six, and many surgeons prefer to operate before or during early primary school — before teasing becomes established, and while children adapt to recovery easily.

On whether it is “vanity.” Prominent ears are one of the most common reasons children are teased, and the effect on confidence is well documented. Correcting them is a reasonable response to a real problem, not indulgence.

The question that matters most: whose idea is it? Dr. Valente will ask to speak with your child, at an age-appropriate level, about whether they want this. A child who wants their ears corrected does well. A child brought in by a parent who minds more than the child does is a different situation — and in that case the honest recommendation is usually to wait.

• General anaesthesia for children
• A head bandage for about a week, then a headband at night for several weeks
• Off school for roughly one to two weeks
• No swimming, contact sports or rough play for around six weeks
• Children generally tolerate this recovery better than adults expect

Many adult patients have been conscious of their ears since childhood — choosing hairstyles around them, avoiding tying their hair back, or avoiding swimming. There is no upper age limit. The cartilage becomes slightly firmer with age, which occasionally influences technique, but the operation is equally effective in adults.

• Often performed under local anaesthesia with sedation rather than general
• Typically back to desk work in about a week, though the head bandage is visible
• You can hide the dressing under a hat or loose hood if you prefer discretion
• Adults sometimes report more discomfort in the first days than children do

• Prominent ears — ears that project too far from the head, most commonly because the natural antihelical fold did not form fully
• A missing or shallow fold — recreating it draws the upper ear back
• A deep conchal bowl — the cartilage cup closest to the head, which can push the whole ear outward
• Asymmetry — where one ear projects noticeably more than the other
• Earlobe prominence — often overlooked, but a prominent lobe undermines an otherwise good result
• Previous otoplasty that has relapsed or over-corrected — revision work

Some Dubai clinics offer non-surgical “thread otoplasty,” using sutures placed through the skin to pull the ear back without formal surgery.

• Thread techniques avoid an incision and have a shorter recovery
• They rely on sutures holding cartilage in a new position without reshaping it
• Relapse rates are higher than with surgical otoplasty, because the cartilage’s own memory works against the sutures
• They suit only mild prominence, and are not appropriate where the antihelical fold is entirely absent
• If a thread technique relapses, surgical correction afterwards is still possible

Common and expected: swelling, bruising, temporary numbness of the ear, discomfort for the first days, itching as healing progresses.

Uncommon: asymmetry between the ears; suture extrusion, where a stitch works its way to the surface and needs removing; small contour irregularities; recurrence of prominence, particularly if dressings are not kept in place; sensitivity to cold for some months.

Rare but serious: infection, which in cartilage requires prompt treatment; haematoma; keloid or hypertrophic scarring behind the ear; skin loss; and cartilage deformity from infection.

On relapse. Ear cartilage has memory and can attempt to return toward its original position. Wearing the headband as instructed materially reduces this risk. A small proportion of patients require adjustment.

Published Dubai market figures for otoplasty generally range from approximately AED 15,000 to AED 25,000, depending on whether one or both ears are treated and the complexity of the correction.

What should be included: surgeon’s fee, anaesthetist’s fee, facility fee, dressings and headband, and all routine follow-up.

On insurance: otoplasty is generally treated as cosmetic in the UAE and not covered. Where correction follows trauma or a congenital deformity, partial coverage occasionally applies.