CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 65Reconstructive Facial Surgery TechniquesBody Image and Dysmorphia StudiesCongenital Ear and Nasal Anomalies

The psychological, social and educational impact of prominent ears: a systematic review

Jones, Elizabeth S., Gibson, John A.G., Dobbs, Thomas D., Whitaker, Iain S.·2020·Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
DOI 10.1016/j.bjps.2020.05.075
Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Background Prominent ears are the most common congenital abnormality of the head and neck, occurring in 5% of the Caucasian population. Facial disfigurement can cause psychosocial distress, low self-esteem and varying levels of social isolation most notable in school-age children. Although prominent ear correction is the most frequently performed aesthetic operation in children and adolescents, to our knowledge, the relationship between prominent ears and psychological, social and educational issues has not been systematically assessed.Purpose of study To investigate the psychological, social and educational impact of prominent ears and to examine how prominent ear correction affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL).Methods A systematic review was conducted using a protocol registered with PROSPERO and in line with the Preferred Reporting for Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PyscINFO, HMIC Health Management Information Consortium, Ovid Journals Database, NHS Wales Full-Text Journals and The Cochrane Database. The inclusion criteria stated that any study investigating the association between psychological, social or educational issues, or HRQoL and prominent ears or otoplasty should be incorporated. All studies were reviewed by two authors, with data extracted for the studies finally included.Findings Fourteen articles were finally included, with a total of 786 patients. Thirteen out of 14 papers analysed the post-operative effect of surgical correction of prominent ears. The most common motivating factor for surgery was bullying, with young males of school age being the worst affected. Prominent ear patients report higher levels of bullying and social problems, and lower levels of physical activity than patients with more severe facial disfigurements. Every study that assessed the psychosocial impact of surgery on prominent ears found a significant benefit to HRQoL.Conclusion and relevance Prominent ears pose severe psychological and social issues that should not be underestimated. Surgical correction has consistently been shown to significantly improve HRQoL.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.bjps.2020.05.075

Cites

25 of 25 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • The aesthetic and psychosocial consequences of protruding ear can lower self-esteem, increase social anxiety, and increase susceptibility to bullying in children.

    “The aesthetic and psychosocial consequences of protruding ear can be detrimental to the individual and is known to lower self-esteem, increase social anxiety and in the case of children, increase their susceptibility to bullying.1”

    From Otoplasty for prominent ear: A systematic review of surgical techniques (2026) · cites this paper as [1]

  • Prominent ear is a common auricular malformation that can have long-term psychosocial consequences on affected individuals.

    “Prominent ear is a common auricular malformation that can have long-term psychosocial consequences on affected individuals.”

    From Otoplasty for prominent ear: A systematic review of surgical techniques (2026) · cites this paper as [1]

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Jones, E. S., Gibson, J. A. G., Dobbs, T. D., & Whitaker, I. S.
Affiliations
  • University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (GB)
  • Morriston Hospital (GB)
Corresponding author
Whitaker, Iain S.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-12
Volume
73
Issue
12
Pages
2111-2120
ISSN
1748-6815 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.bjps.2020.05.075
OpenAlex
W3031378963
Cited by
65
References
25
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 5 · 2015: 1
FWCI
1.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Reconstructive Facial Surgery Techniques
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Genetics › Congenital Ear and Nasal Anomalies
Keywords
prominent ears, otoplasty, health-related quality of life, psychosocial impact, bullying, self-esteem, social isolation, facial disfigurement, physical activity, elementary school students, adolescents
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Child, Ear, External, Educational Status, Humans, Self Concept, Social Adjustment, Social Isolation, Otologic Surgical Procedures, Bullying

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review