Our COVID-19 measures remain in place. Feel safe at Sussex Premier Health hospitals. Read our Covid-19 Policy here
Our COVID-19 measures remain in place. Feel safe at Sussex Premier Health hospitals. Read our Covid-19 Policy here
Surgery to reshape your ears and give you an appearance you’re happy with.
At Sussex Premier Health, our cosmetic surgeons perform pinnaplasty regularly to patients who are unhappy with the appearance of their ears.
Outpatient/Daycase
Local or general
No – you would need to check with your insurance provider
60 minutes
Yes
You’ll be able to meet one of our experienced cosmetic surgeons in a private consultation room. There will be an opportunity to discuss:
• The procedure in detail
• Your medical history
• What’s involved in having the surgery, including the anaesthetic, and any risks and complications
• Any other questions or concerns you may have about your surgery, recovery and what happens afterwards
Your surgeon will also examine your ears and may ask to take confidential photos for your medical records.
You won’t be put under pressure to make any decisions straight away. Your consultant will explain that even if you feel sure about what you’d like to do next, there’s at least a two-week cooling-off period before the procedure in case you change your mind.
Before you go ahead with the procedure, you may need to have a pre-operative assessment.
Ear pinning can be performed under local or general anaesthetic, this is something you will discuss at your consultation.
With local anaesthetic the area to be operated on will be numb but you’ll be awake. If you have a local anaesthetic we may offer you a sedative to help you relax. If you have general anaesthetic you’ll be asleep during the procedure.
During the surgery your surgeon will make cuts behind each ear. The cartilage may be re-shaped folded or some of it removed depending on what you agreed with your surgeon. Stitches are then used to hold the ear back in its new position.
After your procedure you will be taken to your room or comfortable area where you can rest and recuperate until we feel you’re ready to go home. You’ll usually be able to return home later the same day following ear pinning.
Your ears may be sore tender and feel numb for a few days and you may experience a tingling in your ears for a few weeks. You may particularly be aware of this during the night. .
Once you’re ready to be discharged from hospital you’ll need to arrange a taxi friend or family member to take you home as you won’t be able to drive.
Your surgery will be performed by the same consultant surgeon you saw for your initial consultation.
Your consultant surgeon will provide you with tailored advice to follow in the run up to your procedure. Our dedicated pre-assessment team will also provide you with advice about medication prior to your treatment.
You can use over-the-counter pain relief to ease these symptoms.
We will provide you with a supply of all the medicines your consultant feels you need to take home with you after you’ve left hospital up to 14 days. This may be at an additional cost to some patients
After ear pinning surgery your consultant will advise you on how to make your recovery as quick as possible.
You will need to wear a compressive garment over your head and ears for the first 24 to 72 hours.
In the first week after the procedure the garment can generally be removed and the patient can return to work or school.
You should be able to see the end results in six weeks or less and any swelling should be completely subsided within three months.
After ear pinning typically our consultants will want to see you after your procedure to see how you are doing. An appointment will be made for you before you leave hospital.
On rare occasions complications following ear pinning can occur.
Please call us straight away if you experience any of these symptoms:
Your consultant will talk to you about the possible risks and complications of having this procedure and how they apply to you.
If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to us.
Speak to a member of our team
01424 757400 
info@sussexpremierhealth.com 
01424 757400