ABSTRACT
Ely, in 1881, was the first to describe a technique for correction of prominent ears. The ear has a rich blood supply via the superficial temporal, posterior auricular and occipital vessels. The sensory nerve supply is via the auriculotemporal, the lesser occipital and the greater auricular nerves, and the concha also receives sensory innervation via the vagus nerve. There is good evidence now that, if the deformity is obvious in a child at birth, it can be corrected by the application of ear moulds held in place for a month. The cartilage can be moulded significantly and permanently at this stage. Most prominent ears are not detected, however, until later. A dumb-bell ellipse of skin is outlined in the post-auricular area; the amount of skin to be excised is proportional to the prominence of the ears and can be judged by folding back the ear to simulate the proposed ear position. This should be excised mainly from the ear aspect.
