Ear Deformities in Newborns

Introduction

Ear deformities are surprisingly common in newborns. It has been estimated that about 30% of newborn infants are born with ear deformities. About one-half of these deformities will self-correct within the first week of life. This leaves about 15% of infants with persistent congenital ear deformities. If these deformities are not addressed early on, the only method available to correct the deformity is surgery.

child reading book -- Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Michael Sundine

Common Deformities

Some of the common deformities that are seen include prominent ears (where the ears stick out too far from the head), cryptotia (where the upper portion of the ear is buried under the skin and there is not a groove behind the upper pole of the ear), Stahl’s ear or Spock’s ear (where there is a third crus in the upper ear that leads to a pointed upper ear), lop ear ( folding over the upper one-third or upper one-half of the ear), and lidding (where the rim of the ear is collapsed or not well developed).

Ear Surgery -- Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Michael Sundine

About EarWell Infant Ear Correction System

Dr. Sundine is proud to announce that we now have the EarWell™ Infant Ear Correction System. It has been reported that using this system will result in good to excellent correction of ear deformities in 93% of infants. Using the EarWell™ system the deformity can be treated without the pain and associated costs of a surgical procedure while also minimizing the potential of psychosocial issues with teasing due to the deformity.

More on EarWell Infant Correction System

The principle that is involved in neonatal ear molding is that newborns have a high circulating estrogen level that they received from their mother and have similarly high levels of hyaluronic acid in the ear cartilage. As the maternal estrogen levels decrease over the next six weeks there is a corresponding decrease in the hyaluronic acid in the cartilage and the cartilage becomes more rigid and stable in shape. For this reason, it is extremely important to start the molding process as soon as possible. The effectiveness of the procedure decreases dramatically if it is started after 3 weeks of age.

Schedule A Consultation
Real Patients

Real Reviews

What I really like about Dr. Sundine is his vast experience and training. I also like the fact he did not try to sell me other procedures. He is also very down to earth and easy to talk to. I am very satisfied with the results and I highly recommend him.

After much research and multiple visits to other surgeons, I knew right away that Dr. Sundine was the perfect choice for me. I felt completely confident in his ability from the first visit to the last. I have been singing his praises to all of my friends and will recommend him to anyone searching for a plastic surgeon. Thanks, Dr. Sundine

Dr. Sundine is an excellent plastic surgeon! I have been using his services for almost 5 years. If you want to look years younger and fully refreshed I highly recommend that you use his services. Patients walk out looking naturally gorgeous, not overdone like some of the women in Orange County!

Dr. Sundine is the best plastic surgeon. Dr. Sundine’s excellent skills and knowledge has made my surgery turn out so well. But more importantly, it made me feel better about myself. Again, thank you Dr. Sundine for all you have done for me. You are the best surgeon!

I gave Dr. Sundine the highest possible review in each category because he truly deserved the highest reviews on every level. I am a very well recognized lawyer on the West Coast. My firm has spent millions of dollars on television advertising in which I appear. I could not afford to have a bad facelift or even for people to notice I had a facelift at all. I interviewed many physicians including some of the “celebrity” physicians. Ultimately, I chose Dr. Sundine.