Earlobe Rotation

Q: Dr. Eppley, Congratulation for your surgeries. I saw on your website the earlobe rotation by the fish tail technique. I did an otoplasty 15 years ago.

I sent you an e-mail Months ago and you suggest me to do an earlobe reduction with an otoplasty revision. But I’m still afraid to do another complicated surgery revision because i think there are many risks of a deformation of cartilage through the scar release.

So two months ago I did an earlobe reduction through a scar excision. The earlobes are a bit better as the surgeon reduced their width and height. (they were big) But didn’t rotate the earlobe, so they still protruding.

Finally, is the “rotation” possible just to setback a little bit my earlobe to the head? What are the risks? I think I need less than 0.5 cm of earlobe setback. 

A: Since the earlobe doesn’t contain cartilage, it requites skin excision to change its position against the side of the head. The fishtail excision is an effective method to bring the earlobe back closer to the side of the head. It is unfortunate it was not done as part of your initial otoplasty but it can still be done secondarily.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana