Plastic surgery can improve the appearance of protruding ears. A person at each age can undergo obottomlasty, if he/she wishes so. This is often performed with children but only a child is able to determine his own needs and expectations. Parents' suggestions who want to make their child more beautiful against the child's will, are only harming him or her. In practice, children at the age of six at the earliest can undergo such an operation when their auricles have grown to that of an adult and one can judge that they are enough matured to cope with the stress and inconvenience caused by the surgery.

Adults at any age can undergo such operations. Most often they are young people who have been planning the operation for a long time and delayed their decision for various reasons.

Anaesthesia The surgery is conducted under local anaesthesia. The patient is conscious, but he does not feel any pain. Before surgery but on an operational table, an outline of the lines along which the cuts will be made is marked on the auricles. Then the patient gets an injection in the ears' area with a very thin needle. Only the first prick can be felt. Other injections are given in anaesthetised skin.

As younger children tolerate this kind of operation worse than the adults, the surgery is performed under general anaesthesia.

Operation To achieve a desirable and permanent shape for the auricles, it is necessary to operate on the cartilage. The skin is cut behind the ear. After the cartilage is exposed, a surgeon hides sometimes an auricle inside (drawing no. 1). Then he sculpts the shape of the new dam with a file or another tool. He bends the cartilage into place by pulling it behind (drawing no. 2). To support it he adds stitches, which remain under the skin permanently.

In rare cases, a part of the cartilage is cut out from the auricles. This reduces protuberance.

The skin is sewed with stitches removed after a few days.

Healing A dressing on the auricles and the whole head is put on while still on the operating table. During first days ears can hurt a little. Pain can be eased by any ordinary painkiller (paracetamol, APAP, Panadol or Saridon) which can be bought at any chemists. More sensitive persons can request a prescription from the surgeon for stronger painkillers. If pain is severe, one should call one's doctor.

The dressing is usually changed after two days. It is completely removed with stitches after a week. Swellings or haematomas should be less visible at that time. The ears will remain slightly swollen and sensitive for a dozen or so days. The scar after an operation is hidden in a furrow between the ear and skull.

A result of obottomlasty remains until the end of life, provided that one avoids injuries during the initial period after the operation.