Macrotia Repair
in Torrance, CA
Also serving Palos Verdes & Redondo Beach
Macrotia Definition
Macrotia refers to ears that are oversized or large ears that aren’t in proportion to the head. The normal auricular axis length is 58-62 mm in women and 62-66 mm in men. Many patients with prominent or protruding ears feel the need to reduce the size of their ears. However, in most of those cases the ears simply stick out too far and might not call for the consideration of ear reduction surgery. On the other hand, patients with macrotia have disproportionately large ears that may or may not stick out.
Otoplasty
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Before -
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Before -
After
Surgery for macrotia may be referred to as “Ear Reduction Otoplasty”
Commonly known as:
- Large ears
- Big ears
Macrotia Diagnosis
Dr. Bray, Jr. will perform a complete ear and facial exam to determine candidacy for macrotia surgery. The ears may be measured to assess the deviation from the normal size. In patients who are taller or who have a larger head, larger ears may be more acceptable.
Ear Reduction Surgery
The surgery for macrotia– (ear reduction surgery) –involves excisional techniques. The ear reduction surgery may be accomplished by performing a crescent shaped resection of the skin and cartilage of the scapha followed by a full thickness excision through the helix. The following example shows a 5’2” female patient with large ears caused by a large scaphoid fossa.
The picture shows the left ear with markings placed by Dr. David Bray, Jr. prior to macrotia ear surgery.
The following picture shows the intraoperative view after removal of excess skin and cartilage.
The following picture shows ear size after macrotia surgery. The ear was reduced from a length of 67mm to a length of 60mm.
Other techniques may be used depending on the deformity. For example, the concha cymba and concha cavum may need reduction. This involves reducing the cartilage in the bowl shaped area close to the ear canal. Excess cartilage in this area may cause the ear to be too wide and too long. In addition, the earlobe may be large. Multiple techniques may be used to reduce the size of the earlobe including a wedge resection of the lobule. Dr. Bray, Jr. will discuss the different surgical options with you to help you make the best decision for ear reduction surgery.
