Over the past six months we’ve begun offering a highly effective new type of prominent ear correction at Skin Surgery Clinic in Leeds. Offering immediate results and short recovery times, EarFold can offer patients precise and dramatic alterations to their ears without any of the downsides of traditional surgical procedures…
What is prominent ear correction?
Many children and adults have prominent ears. They often refer to them as bat ears, and find they affect their self confidence.
Traditionally, surgery for patients who want to have their ears ‘pinned back’ has taken the form of an otoplasty or pinnaplasty. This is an operation to reshape and possibly remove some of the cartilage in the ear. The otoplasty operation typically has a recovery time of around six weeks, during which time the patient has to wear a significant array of dressings and bandages.
How does EarFold differ from an otoplasty?
The EarFold procedure uses a small pre-shaped implant to hold the ear to the desired shape. This reduces the size of incisions needed and produces immediate changes to the shape of the ears. The shape and location of the implants is tested and agreed with the patient during the initial consultation, in order to get the desired effect.
The implants are made of an alloy called Nitinol, which is used for coronary artery stents and so is long proven to be suitable for use in the human body.
Earfold – before procedure
Earfold – immediately after procedure
What are the benefits of EarFold?
There are a number of reasons why patients are increasingly opting for EarFold implants over more involved surgery:
- Minimally invasive – the only incisions to the skin are about 8-10mm in length and heal quickly
- Local anaesthetic only – only the area around the incisions needs to be numbed for the procedure
- Predictable results – the outcomes are tested and agreed in the initial consultation
- Shorter recovery time – without needing to wear head bandages, patients are able to return to their usual activities within a day or two
Watch a video of this patient 30 minutes after having the EarFold procedure at Skin Surgery Clinic
What happens during EarFold treatment?
The procedure itself is brief and can take as little as half an hour. The surgeon makes a small incision at the agreed positions, in order to install the pre-formed implants.
After insertion of the implants, the ears are held in their new position immediately. The incisions are carefully closed with absorbable stitches, and dressed. The patient will then be able to return to daily activities. A precautionary course of antibiotics is often prescribed in order to avoid any risk of infection.
Who carries out EarFold procedures at Skin Surgery Clinic?
We’re proud to be one of the first clinics in the north of the country to be offering EarFold prominent ear correction. Consultant Plastic Surgeon Mr David Mather has over 16 years of experience since completing his training at Oxford University. He combines his work at Skin Surgery Clinic with an NHS post at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, south of Leeds.
A consultation with the Consultant allows opportunity to discuss your concerns about your ears and to assess whether EarFold is the best treatment for you. The Consultant will explain the procedure in more detail and position test implants on the ears so as to create the effect the implanted EarFold device will produce.
I’m interested – what happens next?
We offer the EarFold procedure at our clinic in Guiseley, near to Leeds and Bradford. As the desired appearance of your corrected ears is so personal to you, we don’t offer an Online Consultation for this procedure. Instead, all patients begin their treatment with an in-clinic consultation with Mr Mather.
