Fifty years of 'big ear' anguish... fixed in 15 minutes: New operation can end distress for million Britons with badly protruding ears

The misery of sticking-out ears is not just a schoolyard problem – the taunts and teasing can last a lifetime, and both children and adults with prominent ears often feel unhappy and self-conscious.

But a pioneering new procedure can put an end to the torment, using an implant inserted under local anaesthetic that corrects the ears’ prominence in just 15 minutes.

Such remarkable results are usually achieved only through invasive ear surgery – known as conventional otoplasty – in which the cartilage is cut. This procedure lasts 90 minutes and is undertaken under general anaesthetic.

Fifty-four British patients have now been treated with the earFold implant, which gives instant results and dispenses with the need for heavy bandaging. Patients can return to work the next day. 

Before and after: Jeremy Wood, from York, North Yorkshire, pictured left 15 years ago with his daughter when his ears still protruded, and right after successfully undergoing the new procedure

One of the first to have benefited from the procedure is Jeremy Wood, 53, a senior valuer for auction house Bonhams in York.

‘I inherited my sticking-out ears from my father and was called bat ears by the boys at school,’ he recalls. ‘I have felt self-conscious about them all my adult life.

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‘Strangely I’ve minded more as I’ve got older, maybe because you notice it more as you get balder. But I never considered surgery until I heard about the implant.

‘My daughter has the same ears as me, and had traditional otoplasty surgery on the NHS at the age of ten. It was quite traumatic and she still suffers from increased sensitivity around her ears, four years on. But this sounded incredibly simple so it appealed.’

It was the risks associated with otoplasty that drove plastic surgeon Norbert Kang to develop the implant.

‘I’ve been performing standard ear correction surgery for more than 15 years,’ he says. ‘It is very time-consuming and carries the same serious risk associated with all general anaesthetic. I felt there must be a safer, simpler method.’

The new earFold implant is a curved strip of flexible metal that is placed under the skin on the front of the ear. It works by gripping the cartilage and folding it back into a predetermined shape, pulling the ear closer to the head. About ten per cent of the population – six million people – have protruding ears, defined as sticking out by more than 2cm. But only one to two per cent of people are unhappy with their ears.

Quick and easy: The new pioneering treatment, shown above, can be completed in just 15 minutes

‘Protruding ears are an aesthetic issue so very much in the eye of the beholder,’ says Mr Kang. ‘But up to a million people dislike their ears and improving their appearance can be life-changing. The problem really affects self-confidence – I hope that those put off by conventional surgery might consider the implant.’

Another major advantage is that patients can specify how they want their ears to look and know what results to expect. Mr Kang says: ‘Before the operation they tell me what they want and I take a sizer – a curved piece of metal the exact size and shape of the implant – and put it on the ear over the skin. I move the sizer around until the ear looks the way the patient desires, then mark its position on the skin.’

Once this is agreed, a local anaesthetic is injected and a small cut (5-10mm long) made on the front of the ear, just inside the outer rim. The implant, which is just 15mm long and no thicker than a human hair, is then slid into the incision.

‘The implant is made from nitinol – the same alloy used in dental braces – which is super-elastic but always returns to its preprogrammed shape,’ says Mr Kang. ‘That means the ear can still move naturally but will revert to the corrected position.’ The cut is then closed with two absorbable stitches, which drop out naturally a couple of weeks later.

About 60 per cent of people need two implants – one at the top and one halfway down – which are placed at the same time.

Although pain and swelling can last up to two weeks, no follow-up treatment is required. Jeremy says: ‘It was a little sore for a few days afterwards but that was it. I was astonished.’

For the first few weeks, patients are advised to avoid contact sports and take sensible precautions to avoid their ears being hit. Earrings should also be avoided.

‘If someone is not pleased, we can adjust the implant under local anaesthetic,’ says Mr Kang.

The earFold is plated with 24-carat gold to reduce its visibility under the skin and can be left in place indefinitely. However, research suggests that after a year, the ear may retain its new shape even if the implant is removed.

The procedure is currently only available at the Royal Free Hospital in London for private patients.

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