Introduction

A LOP ear, otherwise known as “bat ears” refers to the appearance of very prominent ears. Many patients don’t notice or feel self-conscious about their ears until they are beyond the age of 5 and some people may not notice the prominence of their ears until they are adults.

Otoplasty is the surgical treatment of LOP ears (otherwise known as ear pinning). This is a procedure that Dr Dan Robinson has sub-specialised in. This procedure is known as an otoplasty or “ear pinning” and is used to treat the condition in both adults and children.

Causes of LOP ear

LOP ear is a congenital condition that is passed from parents to children. LOP ear is a highly variable condition between patients and commonly will be different between the left and right ear. There are 2 main structural abnormalities that cause LOP ear. Patients usually have a combination of both abnormalities as the cause of their LOP ear:

1. Prominence of the conchal bowl – The conchal bowl is the area of the ear which is surrounding the ear canal. If this area is prominent, it will cause the whole ear to protrude.
2. Lack of antihelical fold – The antihelical fold is a natural fold in the cartilage of the ear which is immediately inside the outer rim of the ear. This fold causes a crease in the skin of the ear and sets the outer rim of the ear back. In patients with LOP ears or “Bat ears” this fold is not present, and the rim of the ear is very prominent.

Each patient is different, and each ear is different. Some patients will have a conchal bowl dominant deformity of the ear, others will have an antihelical fold dominant deformity. Dr Robinson analyses this pre-operatively and tailors the operation appropriately for each patient. Dr Robinson understands that correcting a LOP ear is not the same procedure for everyone, rather each patient requires an individualised operative plan.

Symptoms

The most common symptom that people have associated with LOP ears or “bat ears” is a lack of self-esteem or being teased. Patients may be called “big ears” and may also modify the way they wear their hair – often choosing to have a haircut that covers the prominence of their ears.

Having a correction of the “LOP ear” or “bat ear” deformity is called an otoplasty and is highly successful at correcting the deformity.

Gallery

You can view before and after patient photos of Otoplasty in the Otoplasty Gallery.

Related Information

Otoplasty

To discuss fixing your LOP ear, please make an appointment with Dr Dan Robinson.