Otoplasty is the medical term used for aesthetic ear surgery. By shaping or drying out the cartilage in order to obtain the desired shape, otoplasty creates better proportion between size and shape of the ears in relation to the head and face.

Reconstruction of the ear is the part of otoplasty that corrects traumatic, pathological or birth defects in the outer ear. The surgeon tries to recover lost shape during the process of reconstruction, using the patient’s own tissue or implants.