Expert care for ear shape differences
The ear shape program at Children’s Minnesota diagnoses and treats all medical, functional and cosmetic concerns related to the outer ear. We care for patients from infancy through adolescence, including children with ear shape differences present at birth or that develop over time. Our multidisciplinary team includes pediatric facial plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, audiologists, and nurse practitioners.
Our team is nationally recognized and involved in advocacy and in advancing care for children with ear differences. Most importantly, we are specially trained to care for infants and children with ear concerns and are committed to providing thoughtful, compassionate care tailored to your child and family.
What does a different ear shape mean?
Ear shape differences are common and can look different from one child to another. Some occur when the ears are developing before birth (congenital), others happen later, such as after an injury or infection (acquired). Many ear shape differences only affect how the ear looks, while others may be linked to hearing or other health concerns that should be checked more closely.
One of the most common questions families have is whether anything needs to be done. In some cases, no treatment is needed at all. Our team is here to listen, answer your questions, and help you understand available options and when treatment may be helpful for your child and family, no matter where you are in your journey.
How are ear shape differences detected?
Anyone who care for children in their early days can help identify an ear shape concern, including newborn hearing screeners, primary care providers, and families. Having a child evaluated as early as possible can lead to better outcomes and may prevent the need for surgery later on. In fact, infants who are candidates for nonsurgical intervention should ideally begin treatment within their first few weeks of life.
Conditions we treat in the ear shape program
- Aural Atresia/Stenosis: Narrow or absent ear canal.
- Constricted ear: Top rim of the ear (helix) is folded down, wrinkled, or pulled too tight.
- Cryptotia: The upper ear looks to be buried beneath the skin on the side of the head.
- Earlobe deformities: These include traumatic tears, clefts, duplicate earlobes, large creases or wrinkles and skin tags.
- Microtia: The underdevelopment of the out ear. Learn more about the region’s only microtia program.
- Prominent ears: Ears appear too large or protrude far from the head.
- Stahl’s ear: The ears appear pointed.
- Traumatic ear deformities: These result from injuries to the ear.
- Vascular Anomalies/ Hemangiomas: These are benign tumors that can occur on the external ear.
Ear shape program treatments
If you have a concern about your child’s ear, we are here to help. Our pediatric ear specialists work together to evaluate ear concerns, coordinate care, and address your child’s needs in a seamless way.
We provide comprehensive nonsurgical and surgical ear shape treatments, including:
- Ear molding: Ear molding is a nonsurgical method of correcting mild ear deformities that are present at birth. Ideally, this intervention begins within the first three weeks after a child is born, but studies have shown that molding can also be effective when started as late as six weeks after birth in certain cases. Ear molding can often eliminate the need for surgery or reduce the severity of surgery needed to address the ear condition when the child is older.
- Otoplasty: This is a common procedure used to reposition the ears to give a more typical appearance. It’s performed by making an incision hidden behind the ear and then reshaping the ear cartilage.
- Microtia reconstruction: When all or most of the external ear needs to be reconstructed, this is usually done with the patient’s own cartilage, or sometimes with a prosthesis. This is a highly specialized surgery, and Children’s Minnesota hosts one of the largest microtia programs in the country.
Contact us
Patient families
Please contact us to schedule an appointment or learn more. A nurse will walk you through next steps and talk with you about care options and locations. In some cases, we may ask for photos before your visit.
Children are often referred to our ear shape program by a health care professional. However, families can also contact us directly to schedule a consultation.
Referring providers
Our triage nurses may need medical history and photos prior to scheduling an appointment. Please view our referral guidelines for health professionals here.
