Ear Surgery in Des Moines, IA | Des Moines Plastic Surgery

Name: Google Reviews
Item: Des Moines Plastic Surgery
Rating: 5
Author: Jo Callaway

Ear Surgery (Otoplasty) in Des Moines, IA

Ear surgery, also known as otoplasty, is a cosmetic procedure designed to reshape, reposition, or resize the ears for a more balanced and proportionate appearance. Whether you’re looking to correct prominent ears, asymmetry, or congenital deformities, our board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Robbins, specializes in achieving natural-looking results tailored to your individual needs.

Schedule Otoplasty Consultation

Before scheduling your consultation, please take a moment to determine if you’re a candidate for surgery

West Des Moines Ankeny

What is Otoplasty?

Otoplasty (ear job) is a surgical procedure that enhances the shape, position, or size of the ears. It is commonly performed to:

Correct prominent ears that stick out too far from the head
Improve ear symmetry and balance
Address congenital ear deformities
Restore the appearance of the ears after trauma or injury

By customizing each ear surgery procedure to the patient’s unique anatomy, Dr. Robbins ensures results that enhance facial harmony while maintaining a natural look.

Why Choose Dr. Robbins for Ear Surgery?

Our expert plastic surgeon, Dr. Robbins, brings years of experience and advanced surgical techniques to every otoplasty procedure. His precise approach and commitment to patient satisfaction ensure outstanding aesthetic and functional results.

Benefits of Ear Surgery (Otoplasty) in Des Moines:

Personalized ear pinning plan: Every otoplasty is planned around your ear shape, ear position, and goals, whether you want to pin back prominent ears, correct asymmetry, or fix a congenital ear deformity.
Board-certified plastic surgeon: Dr. David Robbins, MD, FACS, performs cosmetic ear surgery in West Des Moines with a precise approach that keeps results natural-looking.
Ear reshaping and earlobe repair: Treatment options include setting back protruding ears, refining ear contours, and repairing torn or stretched earlobes from injury or piercings.
Short recovery: Ear pinning surgery is an outpatient procedure, so you go home the same day, and most patients return to normal activities within about a week.
Better facial balance: Reshaping the ears brings them into proportion with your jawline, chin, and eyes. Otoplasty can also be combined with a facelift, eyelid surgery, chin surgery, or a brow lift in one session.
Safe, accredited setting: Surgery takes place in our on-site AAAASF-accredited surgical suite, with consultations available at our West Des Moines and Ankeny offices.
Confidence for kids and adults: Ear surgery helps children and adults who feel self-conscious about the size, shape, or position of their ears.

The Otoplasty Procedure

Otoplasty is typically performed as an outpatient procedure under local or general anesthesia. Depending on your needs, the surgery may involve:

Ear Pinning: Reducing prominence by reshaping the cartilage and repositioning the ears closer to the head.
Ear Reshaping: Correcting asymmetry or deformities by sculpting and refining ear contours.
Earlobe Repair: Addressing torn, stretched, or damaged earlobes due to injury or piercings.

The procedure usually takes 1-2 hours, and patients can return home the same day.

Recovery and Results

Following surgery, patients can expect mild swelling and discomfort, which typically subside within a few days. A headband or dressing may be recommended to support healing. Most patients return to normal activities within a week, with final results becoming fully visible in a few months.

Am I a Candidate for Otoplasty?

You may be a good candidate for ear surgery if you:

Feel self-conscious about the size, shape, or prominence of your ears
Are in good overall health with realistic expectations
Have fully developed ears (typically age 5 and older)

During your consultation, Dr. Robbins will assess your concerns, discuss your goals, and create a tailored surgical plan for optimal results.

Before & After Gallery

Ear Surgery Before and After Photo by Dr David Robbins

View All Before & Afters

When Do I Consider Ear Pinning Surgery?

Ear pinning surgery can improve the size, shape, and position of your ears. It may be time to consider ear-pinning surgery for you or your child if:

You or your child feels self-conscious or embarrassed
Your child is being constantly teased about his or her ears
You or your child has undergone significant injury or trauma to the ear

As a general rule, the best candidates for ear-pinning surgery will be healthy and possess realistic expectations. Ear pinning surgery is not recommended for children under four years of age because their ears may not be fully developed.

Combined procedure planning

Procedures Commonly Paired With Ear Surgery

The ears are read against the jawline, chin, and eyes, so patients who come to us about ear surgery in Des Moines are often thinking about facial proportion more broadly. Combining otoplasty with a second facial procedure can produce a more balanced result than treating one feature alone. At your consultation, our team reviews facial proportion and goals to determine which combination, if any, fits your plan.

Procedure What it addresses Why it pairs with otoplasty

Chin Surgery

Profile balance

What it addressesA recessed or weak chin that shortens the lower facial profile.

Why it pairs with otoplastyEar prominence looks more pronounced when the chin sits back. Bringing the lower face forward softens the visual weight of the ears, which is why the two are frequently planned together.

Eyelid Surgery

Single recovery

What it addressesExcess upper lid skin and lower lid puffiness that read as tired eyes.

Why it pairs with otoplastyAdult patients addressing prominent ears often raise their eyes in the same conversation. Combining the two means one anesthesia, one recovery period, and one healing timeline instead of two.

Facelift

Shared incision plan

What it addressesLaxity through the mid face, jawline, and upper neck.

Why it pairs with otoplastyFacelift incisions follow the natural contours of the ear, so ear position and earlobe shape are already part of the surgical plan. Coordinating the two allows both to be designed in one deliberate session rather than working around a previous result.

Brow Lift

Upper face harmony

What it addressesHeavy or descending brows that create a tired or stern expression.

Why it pairs with otoplastyEar reshaping changes how the upper third of the face is perceived. Raising the brows keeps that region consistent, so the whole upper face reads as refreshed rather than corrected in one spot.

Combined procedures are performed in our on-site AAAASF-accredited surgical suite, which allows longer operative sessions to be scheduled safely without a hospital transfer.

Before scheduling your consultation, please take a moment to review if you’re a candidate for surgery

West Des Moines

Ankeny

Ear Surgery Frequently Asked Questions

Ear pinning surgery is performed on an outpatient basis at Des Moines Plastic Surgery™ in our fully accredited operating room. For younger patients, surgery is typically completed under general anesthesia; on older patients, local anesthesia coupled with sedation is usually appropriate.

There are several techniques that may be used during ear surgery depending on the cosmetic problem. In most instances, Dr. Robbins will make a small incision along the back of the ear, exposing the cartilage. Dr. Robbins will then be able to modify or augment the underlying shape. Often, permanent sutures will also be used to help the ear hold its new shape.

Immediately following surgery, which will be done within our fully accredited in-office operating room, a compression garment will be wrapped around your head. You will need to wear this garment for 7 to 10 days. It’s possible that you will experience some discomfort, itching or throbbing in your ears. Dr. Robbins will provide you with prescription pain medication to make this initial phase of recovery more manageable.

Bruising and swelling will be visible for a couple of weeks, but you should be able to return to work and other normal routines within a week to 10 days. Children returning to school should opt out of physical education classes for at least a month.

Dr. Robbins will make every effort to conceal incisions within the natural contours of your ears, so visible scarring should be minimal. Any scarring immediately following surgery will gradually fade and flatten over the course of several months to a year.

Because permanent sutures are often placed during ear pinning surgery, your results will be long-lasting. There is a small risk of relapse after surgery.

Ear pinning surgery offers a high success rate with a low incidence of complications; however, it’s important to remember that all surgical procedures present a degree of risk and uncertainty. These risks will be discussed during your consultation with Dr. Robbins at Des Moines Plastic Surgery™. Some risks may include, but not limited to, infection, allergic reaction to anesthesia, blood clots or the need for revision surgery.

Learn More About Ear Pinning Surgery
In Des Moines

If you’re considering ear surgery in Des Moines, Dr. Robbins is here to help. Schedule a consultation today to learn how otoplasty can enhance your appearance and confidence.