Dr. Pearlman taking patient pictures for rhinoplasty

Welcome to Pearlman Aesthetic Surgery for otoplasty in NYC on Park Avenue.

Otoplasty in NYC, also called “ear pinning,” is a solution for patients who are bothered by the size and shape of their ears. Our practice offers otoplasty for children and adults. Dr. Pearlman views otoplasty as a reconstructive procedure rather than a simple cosmetic procedure. After all, otoplasty is a reconstructive procedure that treats an inborn deformity, similar to braces for misaligned teeth.

A Reconstructive Approach

People with “normal” ears have the privilege of not having to think of them. They go through their lives with one less thing to worry about. But people with ears that are too large, or stick out, or fold over may be self-conscious of their ears on a daily basis.

This is especially problematic for children since they’re more susceptible to self-consciousness over perceived deformities, especially in the face of teasing from peers. As such, “different” ears may eventually be the root cause of lifelong social anxieties and self-esteem issues. Fortunately, ear correction through otoplasty in NYC from Dr. Pearlman is one of the few plastic surgeries available for children as young as 6 to 7 years old.

Understanding Otoplasty / Ear Surgery

Otoplasty is a surgical procedure that treats protruding ears. Dr. Pearlman curates a personalized otoplasty treatment plan to address the two primary issues related to protruding ears:

First Issue: Conchal bowl, i.e., an excessively deep cup of the ear. Dr. Pearlman may remove the small ovals of cartilage or add sutures to minimize the depth of the conchal bowl.

Second Issue: Lack of formation of the ‘antihelical fold.’ Patients may lack the upper fold of the “Y” near the upper part of the ear. Dr. Pearlman administers Mustardé sutures to create or deepen the antihelical folds.

Dr. Pearlman's otoplasty in NYC treats:

Protruding ears through ear pinning

Constricted ears, i.e., excessively small or cupped ears

Treatment Details

Treatment Duration:

2.5 hours

Downtime:

1 week

Dr. Pearlman looking at patient's nose with headset during rhinoplasty consultation

Consultation With Dr. Pearlman

How it Works

Consultation

Process

Recovery

You will meet with Dr. Pearlman for an otoplasty consultation at our office on Park Avenue in Manhattan. Dr. Pearlman will listen to your concerns and desired results from this procedure.

He will then examine the ears, explain potential options for the results that will best suit you or your child, and answer any questions you may have.

It’s important to note otoplasty can only be performed once the ears have reached their full size, typically after age 5 or 6.

Dr. Pearlman can operate on one or both ears. Typically, otoplasty is done on both ears to ensure symmetry. There may be special cases, such as with an injury, where only one ear is affected.

Otoplasty is an outpatient procedure. For children, we place the patient under general anesthesia. Adults may elect to have this procedure under local anesthesia with some oral sedation.

The otoplasty process lasts for 2.5 hours.

Dr. Pearlman will make the incisions on the back of you ear only to avoid visible scarring. Then, he will remove excess skin and cartilage, fold the cartilage into the desired position, and “pin” it with internal stitches.

It’s likely that you’ll have drains placed to help with healing.

Dr. Pearlman inspects a female patient's eyes to determine the best approach for hooded lid surgery in NYC

Our staff will provide thorough post-surgery guidelines for you or your child’s otoplasty.

Any drains that were placed will be removed 1 to 2 days after surgery. You’ll be in bandages for about 4 days. Pain is typically mild and easily managed with Tylenol or Advil. We prescribe stronger pain killers just in case.

Recovery time takes about 1 week, so the patient will need adequate time off school or work to heal. Bruising may persist for up to 2 weeks.

You’ll need to wear a headband as instructed to hold the ears in place while healing for the first 1 to 2 weeks. It’s most important that you sleep with it, which Dr. Pearlman typically recommends for 1 month.

Impactful Results

Whether your otoplasty is aimed at ear pinning protruding ears or another aesthetic concern, an otoplasty in NYC from Dr. Pearlman will restore confidence in the appearance of your or your child’s ears.

It’s rewarding to watch a child’s face as we remove the dressings and they see their new ears.

The results from otoplasty are permanent.

Ear pinning can improve confidence, self-esteem, and well-being.

There’s no visible scarring.

Before and After

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Before After

Frequently Asked Questions

Otoplasty

Otoplasty treats protruding ears, but not other ear-related cosmetic issues, such as lop ears, microtia, and split earlobes. The following is an overview of how we treat all these other cosmetic concerns.

Lop Ears: Lop ear is a deformity that causes the tops of the ears to abnormally fold over before birth. Since a child’s ear cartilages are soft and moldable, they can be treated with earmolds placed on the child’s ear at a young age. Surgeries might not be necessary if used within the first few weeks of life.
Microtia: Microtia is a condition in which a child has poorly-formed or an unformed pair of ears. The cosmetic doctor rebuilds the ears using synthetic implants or the child’s own ribs. Treating microtia necessitates a series of surgical procedures, but parents are always happy with the results, especially since it’s a lifelong treatment.
Split Earlobes: Do you have split earlobes or enlarged earring holes because of earrings that have pulled through? Split earlobes and enlarged earring holes can be treated with outpatient surgical procedures that conclude within 20 minutes. You can get your ears pierced again within 6 weeks. Learn more
Repair of gauge earlobe holes: Sometimes patients make choices that they regret later in life, such as ear gauges. These enlarged holes can be closed with earlobe reconstructive techniques.

Otoplasty will not affect hearing.

Deciding whether to go ahead with a cosmetic procedure for your child isn’t easy. You should carefully consider the treatment’s necessity by asking yourself (and your child) the following questions:

Are they being significantly teased or bullied for their appearance?
Is the constant teasing and bullying affecting their personality and mental health?
Is there a chance that they’ll develop self-esteem issues because of the teasing?
Do they like the idea of having “normal” ears?

During your consultation for otoplasty New York City, Dr. Pearlman will simulate the results of otoplasty with computer imaging. You can then share those computer images with your child to gauge their reaction. If their face lights up in response to the images, well, that’s all the confirmation you need that you’re in the right direction.

Otoplasty is an incredibly safe procedure for kids and adults with a very high success rate. Otoplasty for children is conducted under general anesthesia, and otoplasty for adults is conducted under local anesthesia with sedation.

Otoplasty is a suitable cosmetic procedure for children as young as 6 years of age. By the time children are 6 years old, their ears are already at least 90% of the adult size.

Since children start socializing more actively at this age, they’re more likely to experience bullying or teasing because of their “different” ears. 6-year-old children are also more capable of participating in decisions regarding their ear surgery, and it’s important to have an open discussion about their options. However, otoplasty in NYC isn’t necessary or advisable if your children aren’t bothered by their ears.

PATIENT EXPERIENCES

Real Patient Ratings

Lisa Vasquez is the best of the best.I would recommend her to everyone and anyone who is inquiring of skincare quesitons or procedures done. There is not enough words to describe of expertise and of how humble she is. She is the most calm, caring, kind, intelligent, and truly takes her time to explain anything and everything . Highly recommend!!!

Sandra Sanchez

Real Patient Ratings

My experience with Dr. Pearlman was life changing. I had previously undergone 4 surgeries due to a car accident, 2 of those 4 were strictly rhinoplasty revision. The results left my nose crooked, uneven and i could not breathe. After just one meeting with Dr. Pearlman, I knew he was the best surgeon for me. I felt comfortable, at ease and confident with him. Dr. Pearlman and his staff took the tim...

Tori Flynn

Real Patient Ratings

I've had acne scars for YEARS. Literally some of my scars are from when I had acne 10 years ago as a teenager. I've used so many products to try to make them fade, but nothing ever worked. After reading about microneedling, I decided to give it a try and booked an appointment with Christine. One week later, I have to say I am in love with my results! The staff at Steven Pearlman are super nice and efficient. I only had to wait for about 5 minutes before I was seen by Christine. Once I was seen by Christine, we discussed the procedure and areas on my face I wanted her to focus on (I have boxcar scars on my cheeks). The longest part of the procedure is the numbing cream which takes 30 minutes to set but after that everything is quick and painless! I literally did not feel a single thing and the actual microneedling process took less than 10 minutes. Afterwards, your face is a bit tender while it's healing, but Christine gave me great post-procedure instructions as well as a face kit to help with the healing. Normally you need about 3 sessions to completely get rid of some scars, but after one session, all of my scars are a lot lighter, while some of them have already disappeared entirely! My skin is also a lot less dull and looks so much brighter. I did get some new breakouts after the procedure, but honestly, I think it's because I have to wear a face mask constantly and it ended up irritated my post-procedure face. Overall super happy with my results and highly recommend Christine! I will definitely be back to finish my 3 sessions!!

Real Patient Ratings

Sandra Sanchez

Real Patient Ratings

Tori Flynn

Real Patient Ratings

Dr. Pearlman sitting in chair by flowers

Persistent in the Pursuit of Perfection

For decades, Dr. Pearlman has been persistent in his search for perfection as a top facial surgeon in New York. He brings evolution, experience, expertise, and uniqueness to his patients in our Park Avenue office. The goal of Pearlman Aesthetic Surgery is to help patients to actualize their ideal self-image for the highest level of personal authenticity and attractiveness possible. Dr. Pearlman couples an attentive bedside manner and genuine concern for his patients’ welfare to deliver the best otoplasty results.

Our Approach