An incision is made behind the ear in the natural crease where the ear and head join. The skin is loosened from the cartilage of the ear. The cartilage is often reshaped with stitches to give a more natural look to the ear. I tend to avoid placing cuts in the ear cartilage, as I think this results in an unnatural shape. In fact, I have published an instructional article on my otoplasty techniques in a national surgical journal. This article can be made available to patients, although it is intended for a medical audience.

To fully understand the costs of cosmetic surgery, you must understand the guiding principles of my medical practice: Safety, Quality and a Respect for Cost. I have not designed the surgical experience to be lowest bid; rather, I want you to have an exceptionally high-quality medical experience. If this interests you, please read on.

There are three main components that contribute to your final cosmetic surgery fee. The first component is the surgeon's fee. As this is a medical experience, your final surgeon's fee can only determined after a full consultation with me. I will perform a complete history and physical exam and we will carefully discuss your concerns. Computerized imaging is often used to help better plan your surgery.

As a reference point, a recent survey of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery showed the average professional fee of otoplasty to be $3389. Dr. Mobley's professional fee will tend to be closer to $3750. Many patients, and parents of younger patients, are very pleased to learn that a portion of Dr. Mobley's professional fee is directed to the Mobley Foundation for Charitable Surgery to help pay for surgery for children who are being bullied or teased for having larger ears but whose families could otherwise not afford the operation. The average facility and anesthesia fees are $1840.

The second cost component is the facility in which your operation is performed. I operate only in a state of the art surgical enter - not in a in-office surgical room. This surgical center is JCAHO certified, which means it has passed the highest level of federal inspection. Cosmetic surgery is real surgery, and I strongly believe that having it performed in a JCAHO certified center is in your best medical interest. The average surgical center fee for this operation is $1085.

The final cost component is the anesthesia fee. The training background of the person ultimately responsible for your sedation should be carefully considered. Nurse anesthetists are members of the surgical team; however, in every cosmetic operation I perform, an anesthesiologist who has completed medical school, residency, and board certification is responsible for your sedation. This is the level of care I would insist on for my own family members. Anesthesia fees for this operation average $530.

After your consultation you will leave the office with an easy to understand written quote in which we will list the cost of these three components for your individualized surgical plan. Keep in mind that the facility and anesthesia fees are time-based and so may be increased, or decreased, based on the actual final length of your surgery.

Dr. Mobley wants to make cosmetic surgery available to as many people as possible. For that reason we have hand picked lending services exclusively for Dr. Mobley's patients. When you come in for your consultation we will be more than happy to go over all your financial options with you. We have provided web links to our financial lenders so that you may research them on your own if you so desire.www.mlendfinancial.com

For one week following the operation, you will wear a protective dressing over your ear(s) to protect the delicate stitches placed during the operation. After one week, I will see you back in the office and remove any stitches that were placed. I encourage my patients to purchase a sports headband and to wear this around the ears at night and while sleeping for four to six weeks following surgery.

If absolutely necessary, you could return to work three to four days after the operation. Because of the protective ear dressing placed during surgery, most patients arrange to have one week off from work or school.

In some situations, particularly for young children, insurance companies may view otoplasty as covered under your policy. Our staff can help you determine this before surgery. If not covered by your insurance carrier, payments can be made prior to surgery.

Every type of surgery has risks. It’s my ethical responsibility to educate you on these risks so you can make the best possible decision for yourself while weighing these risks against the benefits of surgery. My training helps me to minimize these risks to the best of my ability, but I cannot eliminate them entirely.

Common risks include infection of stitches. Corrected ears may relax over the first month or two following surgery, so I often over-correct them slightly during surgery.

The risks above are the most common ones that I think you should be aware of, but they are not a complete list of all possible risks. When I see you in consultation and we begin to formulate your surgical treatment plan, I’ll review with you not only these common risks but also the less likely complications that may occur.

Dr. Mobley is very experienced with otoplasty. In fact, he underwent otoplasty himself after his freshman year in college. He understands first-hand patients’ concerns about protruding ears and the benefits of undergoing surgical ear-pinning. He performs many otoplasty surgeries each year on children and adults, and he is an advocate to help educators understand the bullying that children with protruding ears may undergo once they reach school age.

Click to view medical article. Warning, these are real patient photos and may be medically graphic.

• Mobley SR, Vartanian JA, Toriumi DM. (2002). Otoplasty. Operat Tech Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 13(1), 29-35.

• Mobley SR, editor. (2006) Auricular Surgery: Aesthetic and Reconstructive. Facial Plastics Surgery Clinics of North America. Elsevier Health Sciences publisher, Philadelphia, 14(2).

• Nuara MJ, Mobley SR. (2006). Nuances of otoplasty: a comprehensive review of the past 20 years. Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am, 14(2), 89-102, vi.