The term “putting on ears” (synonym: otopexy) refers to a surgical procedure to treat protruding ears. The first surgical attempts to create protruding ears go back to the American surgeon Edward Talbot Ely. He performed the first ear reconstruction in 1881.
While Talbot only removed parts of the skin behind the ear, several surgical techniques are used today in combination. When deciding on the surgical placement of the ears, however, it must be borne in mind that protruding ears do not represent a clinical picture. For this reason, the treatment of sail ears is a purely aesthetic operation.
Protruding ears
Protruding ears are often colloquially called sail ears. By definition, the ears of those affected stand out from the head by more than 30 degrees. As a rule, protruding ears are based on a genetic disposition.
This means that sailing ears are more common in the families of most affected people. The ear consists of a single piece of cartilage, which is covered by a very thin layer of skin. On the back of the ears, this layer of skin can be displaced, while on the front it is firmly attached to the cartilage.
For this reason, the front side of the ears shows a complicated relief, which corresponds to the cartilage structure underneath the skin layer. The special feature “sail ears” is by no means a clinical picture. Protruding ears do not restrict hearing at all or only slightly and are only a cosmetic problem for those affected.
Especially in children and adolescents, sailing ears, which are not put on at an early age, can however favour the development of various psychological disorders. The affected children often experience that every visible deviation from the norm is ridiculed. For this reason they often develop inferiority complexes and a pronounced fear of being mocked. Protruding ears that are not put on early can therefore have far-reaching consequences for those affected.
Necessity of operation
Protruding ears are only an anatomical variant. Sail ears do not represent a clinical picture in the true sense. Nevertheless, this anatomical variant, which deviates from the norm, may well acquire a disease value due to feedback from the environment.
Many of those affected experience mockery especially at a young age and are exposed to daily teasing. This often leads to pronounced inferiority complexes in those affected. It is not uncommon for people with protruding ears to be at particular risk of developing mental illness for this reason.
According to studies, many people who have protruding ears suffer from depression. Although this mainly affects children and young people, adults also often suffer from the consequences of protruding ears. In plastic surgery, sail ears are only classified as a slightly pronounced auricular malformation, which is the result of a genetically determined embryological maldevelopment.
According to experts, however, hearing ability is not or only slightly limited by the protruding ears. Therefore, there is no medical necessity to put on the protruding ears with regard to the hearing ability. However, the psychological impairments caused by gliding ears can justify a surgical correction.
