The Earfold® implant has a pre-set, curved shape. Once in position and released, Earfold® takes up its curved shape again, repositioning your ear at the angle you and your consultant agreed on. The results are quick, so you won’t have to wait long to see the effect. An Otoplasty procedure typically takes about two to three hours to complete. Depending on the case and the desired results, the treatment can be performed under local or general anaesthetic.

EarFold® is a thin, curved, metal strip made of Nitinol. Nitinol is an alloy that is made from two metals, titanium and nickel, and is widely used in medicine. It is the same material that is used for coronary artery stents (for patients with heart disease due to a blockage of their arteries) and also for unbreakable spectacle frames. The EarFold® implant has been plated with 24-carat gold to reduce its visibility. The EarFold® implant has undergone extensive laboratory and human clinical testing over a period of several years. You can expect some normal numbness, swelling and bruising following surgery. You will be given full details about the recovery process during your appointments with the surgeon. You may want to take one to two weeks off work, as well as avoiding exercise or bending forward for the three to four weeks following your surgery. Contact sport should be avoided for at least six weeks.

Those who will benefit most from EarFold® are individuals with prominent ears due to an absence or poor development of the anti-helical fold. This is the case for most people with prominent ears and, as a result, the majority of these individuals will benefit from treatment with EarFold®. However, in some cases, prominence can also be due to a very deep conchal bowl. In such cases, EarFold® may be able to improve the prominence but will not correct it altogether and additional procedures (such as a conchal bowl reduction) may be necessary. Either way, your surgeon will be able to advise you during the consultation.

For the first time in cosmetic surgery, EarFold® will provide you with a unique opportunity to select the precise amount of correction that you want rather than leaving it to the discretion of the surgeon. At your first visit to the surgeon, you will be able to decide how much of a correction you want. To do this, the surgeon will use EarFold® sizers which are placed onto the outside of your ear to help determine the optimum location for the implant. The sizers are also made of nitinol and are the same size and shape as the actual EarFold® implant. To achieve the desired correction, one or two EarFold® implants are used in each ear.

The Private Clinic has clinics nationwide so we are sure to have an expert EarFold® surgeon located near to you. Our clinics are in; London – 98 Harley street, W1G7HZ Manchester – 25 St John Street, M3 4DT Birmingham – 88 Hagley Road, B16 8LU – West Midlands Leeds – 45 Park Square North, LS1 2NP – Yorkshire Bristol – 92c Whiteladies Road, BS8 2QN – Clifton Northampton – 82 Billing Road, NN1 5DF – East Midlands We also have consulting rooms in Milton Keynes where you can have consultations with one of our patient coordinators. To find out more about booking a consultation at a clinic near you, contact us here.