Otoplasty (Ear Surgery)

To begin your Seattle otoplasty, Dr. Ridgway, a plastic surgeon in Bellevue, will administer anesthesia to ensure your total comfort throughout the surgery. For our adult and teen patients, we commonly use local anesthesia with a sedative.

Our younger patients, however, typically require general anesthesia to ensure their safety.

For your actual procedure, Dr. Ridgway will make a small incision behind each ear, through which he will remove excess skin. Depending on your needs, he may then sculpt or remove some cartilage to create a smaller and more natural-looking ear structure. From there, he will use permanent sutures to position your ears closer to your head before expertly closing the incisions and placing protective gauze and bandages around the area.

Children may be considered ideal candidates for ear surgery if they:

• Are at least five years old.
• Can follow instructions well.
• Are healthy and without any untreated chronic ear infections or a life-threatening illness.
• Possess overly large or prominent ears that may affect their self-esteem.

Teenagers and adults may be considered ideal candidates for ear surgery if they:

• Are healthy non-smokers.
• Are without a life-threatening illness or medical condition that may impair healing.
• Want to achieve a renewed self-image by correcting overly large or prominent ears.