Cryptotia is the term used to describe when the upper part of the ear is hidden. It can look like there is a portion of the upper ear missing or that it is badly misshapen, when in actual fact it is concealed beneath the skin at the side of the head.
This caused by an abnormality of the small muscles around the ear. Gently pulling the ear away from the head can often show the true shape of the cartilage beneath.
It is sometimes possible to improve or even correct cryptotia with the use of splints if caught early enough, but more often than not it will require surgery to fully correct.
Surgical correction of Cryptotia
Cryptotia surgery is usually performed under a general anaesthetic as a day case procedure but may require an overnight stay depending on how far you have to travel home.
There are two main aspects to the surgery;
- to reposition the skin around the top of the ear. This will involve making a cut in the skin at the back of the ear to allow the skin to be loosened and repositioned.
- to improve the shape of the ear cartilage. If repositioning the skin is not enough to create a satisfactory result, then an attempt will be made to improve the shape of the underlying cartilage as well. Whilst this will normally require some permanent stitches to be placed within the ear cartilage itself, more often than not, a piece of spare cartilage will need to be added to help achieve a more normal shape. This graft of cartilage can be harvested from the bowl of the ear without any significant impact to its overall appearance.
After surgery, the ear will be protected with a bandage that will need to be kept in place until the first dressings appointment takes place. This is usually around one week after surgery.
