You can have this done as early as age five because your ears have reached ninety percent of adult size by then. Generally, surgery is done when a child is young to avoid unnecessary teasing which causes its own adjustment problems. This operation is usually done on an outpatient basis in a surgery center. Adults and teenagers usually prefer local anesthesia with sedation, given by the surgeon. General anesthesia is necessary for young children because they cannot hold still.
Surgery takes between one and a half to two and a half hours.
You should experience no pain from this procedure, unless a stitch is pulling on your bandage, or the bandage is too tight. Your ears will throb the day of surgery while the local anesthetic wears off, and they may throb or ache a little, especially in the evenings, for a day or so. Your head is wrapped for two to five days in a bulky bandage covering your scalp and ears and sometimes going around your chin. Once the bandage is removed, you will wear a headband as much as possible for up to six weeks. Once the bandage is off, you can bathe normally.