Ear Reconstruction

Also known as: ear reconstruction surgery.

What is ear reconstruction?

The ear can be malformed or absent for many reasons, either due to a birth defect, trauma, cancer or other reasons. Ear reconstruction is a medical procedure or a series of medical procedures used to rebuild the malformed or absent ear.

What happens during the procedure?

The new ear can be made entirely from the patient’s own tissue such as cartilage and skin.  Ears can also be made using an artificial frame to shape the ear that is covered by the patient’s own skin. Lastly, prosthetic ears can be made. Your doctor will discuss with you the pros and cons of each approach and help decide what is the best option.

What are the risk factors?

Infection, bleeding, injury to surrounding organs and tissues, nerve damage and scarring are potential risks of ear reconstruction. There’s also a chance that the reconstruction is unsuccessful.

Reviewed by: Chad A Perlyn, MD

This page was last updated on: September 16, 2025 12:41 PM