The cartilaginous skeleton of the ear is the foundation for the ear’s overall appearance. There may be several components that cause the ears to protrude: excess cartilage within the inner part of the ear (ear base) – the concha, and/or deficiency of cartilage curvature (abnormal development) – the anti-helix. During the surgery, excess cartilage is removed if indicated, and the remaining cartilaginous framework is redesigned to resemble a complete and normal ear. All this is achieved by a small and inconspicuous incision behind the ear. The surgery itself may be performed under local anesthesia in adults, or general anesthesia in children. Duration of surgery is approximately one and a half hours for both ears. This is a relatively simple procedure with a fast recovery period. In most cases, overnight hospitalization is not necessary.

The ear reaches approximately 80% of its final size at ages 6-7, and therefore ear repair can be performed from this age and older without deleterious effects on normal ear growth. It is recommended that surgery be considered once the patient notices the defect in him or herself. Any older population benefits just as well from such surgery.