Ear molding therapy of congenital ear anomalies: long-term aesthetic outcomes and caretaker satisfaction.
Abstract
Introduction Ear molding is a safe, non-surgical approach to treat newborns with congenital ear anomalies. In this study, we aimed to investigate long-term aesthetic outcomes and caretaker satisfaction from ear molding therapy.Methods A retrospective chart review from 2018 to 2020 was conducted for infants who underwent ear molding treatment at our institution. Patient demographics and treatment related variables were collected. Caretakers were surveyed regarding their experience, expectations, and aesthetic outcome at 1 year (short-term) and 3 years (long-term) from treatment. Independent physicians evaluated treatment efficacy. Responses were converted to a Likert scale (1-5), with 5 representing most desirable.Results Overall, 38 of 42 patients participated in our long-term study (90%) for a total of 62 ears. Average follow-up was 3.31 ± 0.50 years after completion of treatment. Mean age at treatment was 23.2 ± 19.7 days with a mean treatment duration of 21.7 ± 7.7 days. Caretakers' satisfaction regarding auricular appearance remained high (short-term: 4.18 vs. long-term: 4.17, p = 0.54) and anticipated social distress decreased over time. Physician aesthetic evaluations were favorable between "somewhat effective" and "very effective" and remained consistent over time (short term: 3.46 vs. long-term: 3.31, p = 0.31). Furthermore, physician evaluations were higher for deformations than malformations (p = 0.04) and in children who began treatment by 30 days old (p = 0.04).Conclusion Caretaker satisfaction from ear molding therapy remained high after long-term follow up, and social distress from the perception of their child's ears decreased with time. Physician aesthetic ratings confirmed efficacy, with better outcomes seen in deformations than in malformations.Level of evidence iv This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
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Virtually all studies evaluating ear molding efficacy have focused on short-term results, with follow-up limited to less than a few years.
“Virtually all studies evaluating ear molding efficacy have focused on short-term results, with follow-up limited to less than a few years.7,9–16”
From Long-term Outcomes of Infant Ear Molding: A 10-year Single-Surgeon Experience (2025) · cites this paper as [16]
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- Authors
- Alper, D. P., Almeida, M. N., Craver, A., Hosseini, H., De Baun, H. M., Moscarelli, J., Collar, J. L., Parikh, N., Shah, J., & Alperovich, M.
- Affiliations
- Yale University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Alperovich, Michael
- ORCID
- Venue
- Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
- Published
- 2023-08-11
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1241-1248
- ISSN
- 0364-216X (ISSN-L)
- 1432-5241
- OpenAlex
- W4385751955
- Cited by
- 5
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1
- FWCI
- 1.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Reconstructive Facial Surgery Techniques
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Genetics › Congenital Ear and Nasal Anomalies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Craniofacial Disorders and Treatments
- Keywords
- congenital ear anomalies, ear deformity, auricular malformation, social distress, treatment timing, infants
- MeSH terms
- Congenital Abnormalities, Ear, External, Esthetics, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Retrospective Studies, Time Factors, Treatment Outcome, Caregivers, Patient Satisfaction
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