Macrotia Large Ear Reduction Prominent Ear Pinning Otoplasty Bellevue & Seattle

Macrotia & the Large Ear

Macrotia is a term used to describe a Anatomically Large Ear. This is different from a prominent outward protruding ear that is more commonly associated with Ear Plastic Surgery or Otoplasty (Oto = Ear, Plasty = to Change). A normal ear is about 58-62 mm long from top to bottom. The average adult female ear is 59mm & the average male ear is 63mm. In males, the ear length is 48mm at 6 months increasing to 55mm at 5 years and 59mm at l0 years. For girls, this is about 1-2mm smaller at each time point.The ear is about 80-90% of adult size at 5-6 years of age and almost fully-grown at l0 years. Thereafter, it remains much the same size until the age of 60 when it gradually enlarges, particularly in the earlobe location. This is thought to be due to volume loss in the ears and skin sagging.

Prominent Ears

From a Prominent Outward Protruding Ear Standpoint, this specifically refers to how much the ears stick out from the side of the head from the frontal view. The ideal has not been known in actuality. Through Dr. Young's Theory on Beauty, we have determined this ideal distance is one colored part of the eye. This scientific paper specifically addressing this point will be published in early 2017 and presented at an academic Meeting called the American Brazilian Aesthetics Meeting that was held in Park City, Utah in February of 2015. Here is the actual presentation: New Theory on Facial Beauty: The Circles of Prominence Key Shapes and Distances in the Face. It has been mentioned in the past that the ideal distance from the back of the head to the most protruding part is about 16-18mm in an Adult.

Macrotia Ear Reduction Surgery

The way to reduce the ear is to physically excise a large part of the ear. In the video above, you will see the markings of how we remove certain parts of the ear depending on where the ear is actually physically bigger. This might entail removing a large portion of the middle part of the ear. Sometimes there are approaches that make an incision along the helix at the middle section that extends along the scaphoid fossa. Earlobe reduction may also play a part. In the video, we also resect some portion of the scaphoid fossa in a crescent manner similar to the approaches that entail making an incision at the middle section of the ear along the helical rim.