# Otoplasty (Prominent Ear Surgery) in Istanbul, Turkey > Canonical (HTML): https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/prominent-ear-surgery By Muhsin Yilmaz, MD, FEBOPRAS · Medically reviewed September 2026 Otoplasty reshapes ears that stand away from the head, through an incision hidden behind the ear. It is a small operation with an unusually direct effect on how someone feels about being looked at — and the mark of a good one is that nobody can tell it was done, because the ear still has its own folds and shadows rather than being flattened against the skull. - **Surgery:** 1–2 hours - **Hospital stay:** Day case - **In Istanbul:** ~5 days - **Socially presentable:** ~1–2 weeks ## What Otoplasty Is Otoplasty — also called ear pinning or ear correction surgery — changes the angle and the shape of the ear cartilage so that the ear sits closer to the head and in proportion with it. The incision is placed in the crease behind the ear, where the healed line is out of sight in normal life. It is one of the few facial operations where the goal is genuinely defined in advance: the ear should have a natural outer fold, should sit at a normal distance from the head along its whole length rather than only at the top, and should match its partner closely enough that nobody counts the difference. ## What Makes an Ear Prominent Two things, usually together. The antihelix — the fold that normally curves inside the rim of the ear — can be poorly formed, so the rim has nothing holding it back. And the conchal bowl, the deep cup at the centre of the ear, can be too large or angled outward, which pushes the whole ear away from the head. Which of the two dominates decides the operation. Reshaping a weak antihelix and reducing or repositioning an over-large conchal bowl are different manoeuvres, and doing only one on an ear that needs both is the commonest reason a corrected ear looks partly corrected. ## How I Perform It The incision is made in the crease behind the ear and the cartilage is exposed. Where the antihelical fold is weak, I create it by weakening the cartilage on its outer surface so that it curves without a sharp edge, and hold the new fold with permanent sutures placed where they will not show through the skin. Where the conchal bowl is the problem, it is reduced or set back against the mastoid. The skin is closed behind the ear, and a supportive dressing is applied. Cartilage has memory and resists being bent, which is why the technique matters more than the effort: an ear held only by tight sutures tends to return, and an ear over-weakened at the fold develops a sharp, artificial ridge. The aim is a fold that would be there naturally. The operation is a day case. Adults tolerate it under local anaesthesia with sedation very well; general anaesthesia is used where the plan or the patient calls for it. What the day involves is on [your surgery timeline](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/your-surgery-timeline). ## Who It Suits, and When The ear reaches close to its adult size early in life, which is why this operation can be performed once ear growth is largely complete — and why it is traditionally done in childhood, before the teasing that brings most families to a surgeon in the first place. It is equally effective later: the cartilage is stiffer in an adult ear and the technique adapts to that, but the result is the same operation's result. I operate on both children and adults; when to do it is decided with the family and the ear in front of me, not by a rule. It suits someone bothered by a specific, visible feature of their own ears rather than by the idea of ears in general, who is in good general health, and who understands that two ears are never made identical — they are made to match. Smokers heal the skin behind the ear poorly, which matters here. ## What the Result Should Look Like A corrected ear should still look like an ear. Seen from the front, the rim should be visible beyond the antihelical fold rather than hidden behind it; seen from the side, the fold should be smooth and continuous, without the sharp ridge that gives away an over-treated ear; and the ear should not be flattened against the head, which is the commonest over-correction and is harder to revise than under-correction. My [results gallery](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results) currently shows facial rejuvenation cases, each listing the full combination of procedures performed; otoplasty pairs are published as patients consent to them. [See before & after results](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results) ## Recovery A supportive dressing is worn first and is replaced by a soft band at your clinic visit; the band is then worn at night as instructed, because the ear is vulnerable to being folded in sleep while the cartilage settles. Swelling, bruising and a throbbing sensation are normal early and settle quickly compared with most facial surgery. The skin behind the ear is numb for a while and the ear feels stiff before it feels normal. Sleeping on your side is the restriction patients ask about most, and the answer is not in the early period — I tell you at your check when it is safe. Contact sport and anything that can catch the ear wait considerably longer. The general rhythm of facial recovery is in the [facelift recovery guide](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/facelift-recovery). ## Risks, Plainly The risks are asymmetry between the two ears, which is the commonest and is usually minor; recurrence, where the cartilage gradually returns towards its old position; over-correction, with the ear flattened against the head or a sharp, unnatural ridge along the fold; a suture that becomes palpable or works its way to the surface; haematoma behind the ear, which needs to be seen the same day because cartilage under pressure can be damaged; infection of the cartilage, which is uncommon but serious; a thickened or keloid scar behind the ear, which is more likely in some skin types and which I ask about beforehand; numbness; and the risks of anaesthesia. ## How Long It Lasts The reshaped cartilage holds the new position, and in most patients the correction is lasting. Some relapse towards the original shape is possible, particularly where the conchal bowl was the main problem and was corrected only with sutures, and that is a reason to address the bowl itself rather than to pull harder on it. I do not attach a number of years to the operation. ## What Decides the Cost The cost follows whether one ear or both are being corrected, whether the antihelical fold, the conchal bowl or both need work, whether the ear has been operated on before, and whether the operation is performed under local anaesthesia with sedation or under general anaesthesia. After I have reviewed your photographs you receive an itemised quote. How quotes are built and compared safely is on the [cost page](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/deep-plane-facelift-cost); deposits and dates are on the [international patient FAQs](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/international-patient-faqs). ## Having Otoplasty in Istanbul This is a short operation, and that makes it an easy one to sell carelessly — quoted without an examination, performed in an office setting, with no follow-up once the dressing is off. The checks that protect you are the same as for any operation abroad: board certification you can verify, a named surgeon who performs the operation, a proper surgical setting, and aftercare in writing. How to check all four, including on me, is on [is Turkey safe for plastic surgery](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/is-turkey-safe-for-plastic-surgery); how the trip is arranged is on [travelling to Istanbul](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/travelling-to-istanbul). ## Frequently Asked Questions **What is otoplasty?** Otoplasty — also called ear pinning or ear correction surgery — reshapes the ear cartilage through an incision hidden in the crease behind the ear, so the ear sits closer to the head and in proportion with it. The aim is a natural outer fold and a normal distance from the head along the whole ear, not an ear flattened against the skull. **What makes ears stick out?** Usually two things together: an antihelical fold — the curve inside the rim of the ear — that is poorly formed, and a conchal bowl at the centre of the ear that is too large or angled outward. Which of the two dominates decides the operation, and correcting only one when both are involved is why some ears look partly corrected. **At what age can otoplasty be done?** Once ear growth is largely complete, which happens early in life — that is why the operation is traditionally performed in childhood. It is equally effective in adults; the cartilage is stiffer and the technique adapts. I operate on both children and adults. **Where is the scar?** In the crease behind the ear, where it is out of sight in normal life. In some skin types the scar behind the ear can thicken, which I ask about before surgery rather than after. **When can I sleep on my side after otoplasty?** Not in the early period. A soft band is worn at night as instructed, because the ear is vulnerable to being folded in sleep while the cartilage settles, and I tell you at your check when side sleeping is safe. **Can ears stick out again after surgery?** Some relapse towards the original position is possible, particularly where the conchal bowl was the main problem and was corrected with sutures alone. Addressing the bowl itself rather than pulling harder on it is what reduces that risk, and it is part of how I plan the operation. **Will both ears look identical?** No — two ears are never made identical, in anyone, including people who have never had surgery. They are made to match closely enough that nobody counts the difference, and minor asymmetry is the commonest and most acceptable outcome. **Is otoplasty painful?** There is throbbing and a feeling of pressure in the first days rather than severe pain, controlled with standard medication. Increasing pain on one side is not normal and is reported the same day, because bleeding behind the ear needs to be seen quickly. **How much does otoplasty cost in Turkey?** It depends on whether one ear or both are corrected, what the cartilage needs, whether the ear has been operated on before, and the anaesthesia used. After I have reviewed your photographs you receive an itemised quote for your own plan. ## Start Your Assessment **Send a photograph from the front and one from behind each ear.** Over WhatsApp or through the form — you will receive my initial assessment of what is making the ear prominent, what the operation would involve in your case, an expected length of stay and an itemised quote before anything is arranged. [Request a personal review](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/contact) [See before & after results](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/results) *Every enquiry is reviewed personally by Dr. Yilmaz; scheduling is handled by the patient coordination team.* ## About Dr. Muhsin Yilmaz Written and medically reviewed by Muhsin Yilmaz, MD, FEBOPRAS — Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon. Last reviewed: September 2026. Dr. Muhsin Yilmaz is a **double board-certified plastic surgeon**, holding the FEBOPRAS diploma of the European Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery and the certification of the Turkish Board of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, and practises in Istanbul, Türkiye. His practice is focused on facial and neck rejuvenation, centred on the deep plane facelift — around 150 facelift operations per year, performed at Acıbadem Kartal Hospital. He is a member of TSPRAS and ISAPS, and is registered with the Turkish Ministry of Health for international health tourism. Read his [full profile](https://muhsinyilmaz.com/en/about-us). ## References - Mustardé JC. The correction of prominent ears using simple mattress sutures. *Br J Plast Surg.* 1963;16:170–178. [PMID 13936895](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/13936895/) - Furnas DW. Correction of prominent ears by concha-mastoid sutures. *Plast Reconstr Surg.* 1968;42(3):189–193. [PMID 4878456](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4878456/) - Stal S, Klebuc M, Spira M. An algorithm for otoplasty. *Oper Tech Plast Reconstr Surg.* 1997;4(3):88–103. [doi:10.1016/S1071-0949(97)80002-9](https://doi.org/10.1016/S1071-0949(97)80002-9)