Otoplasty in Madrid

On this page we answer them in order. We explain what can be corrected, who can be operated on, what the surgery involves, recovery week by week, who operates on you and, in detail, what the quote for an otoplasty should include and why it varies. We hold consultations in Chamberí, Retiro and Castellana (in the capital) and also in Alcobendas and Móstoles.

What can otoplasty (ear surgery) correct?

Otoplasty is surgery that changes the position, shape or size of the ears. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), whose website we consulted in October 2026, it treats ears that are too large (macrotia), prominent ears on one side or both, which are not linked to hearing loss, and deformities that appear with growth or after an injury. It can also help adults who are unhappy with an earlier ear operation.

Prominent ears

This is the most common reason. The ear sticks out from the head because the cartilage lacks the fold that carries it backwards, or because the concha is very deep. The operation repositions the cartilage and fixes it closer to the head.

The earlobe and other differences

Some people come in about an earlobe that is too big or too long, or about a difference between the two ears. Each of these situations is examined separately, because they are not corrected with the same step.

One ear or both

Only one ear can be operated on, if it is the only one that sticks out, or both. The examination decides. It is one of the things that most affects the quote, which is why we come back to it further down.

Who can have ear surgery?

For the ASPS, healthy adults who do not smoke and have clear goals can be candidates for otoplasty. At Clínica EGOS otoplasty is offered only to adults. For the ASPS, moreover, the decision is a personal one and should not be made to please other people.

How the technique is chosen

Not all ears are corrected in the same way. The main step is this: the surgeon places stitches that fold the ear so that it regains the fold it lacks and, depending on the case, may reshape, remove or add cartilage. If the problem is the concha, the earlobe or both, the corresponding step is added.

What is done in your case depends on the shape of the ear and the thickness of the cartilage, which the surgeon checks during the examination. Each ear behaves differently, and the plan comes from those differences.

The surgery: anaesthesia, duration and same-day discharge

Otoplasty is a short procedure. At EGOS it is carried out under local anaesthesia, with sedation if the surgeon so indicates; it takes about an hour and patients go home the same day. Some tests are done beforehand to check for allergies, skin hypersensitivity and clotting.

Step by step

The surgeon makes an incision behind the ear, in the fold it forms with the head, so the scar stays hidden. From there, the cartilage is modified: folded, reshaped or weakened so that the ear takes the intended shape. The position is secured with stitches and the wound is closed. At the end, a bandage is applied that protects the ears and holds the new shape.

Before you leave home

On the day of the operation, come with clean hair and no clips or hairpins, wearing clothes that do not have to be pulled over the head (an open collar or a shirt is best), and with someone to go home with you. The team tells you whether you should fast and which medication to take.

Afterwards

After a few hours of observation, and once the team gives the go-ahead, you go home with written instructions.

If you have already had ear surgery and the result does not convince you, bring the report of that operation to the consultation: the surgeon will assess whether a revision is possible.

Scar and result

The scars of an otoplasty sit behind the ear, in the groove it forms with the head, and become barely visible over time. The result of the correction is lasting: the cartilage is already in its new position. Even so, the ear can change with the years like any other part of the body, which is why no specific appearance is guaranteed.

Something important: the surgery works on the outer ear and not on the structures of the ear responsible for hearing, so it does not affect hearing.

Otoplasty recovery, week by week

There are usually three phases, which the surgeon adjusts to each case.

The first two or three days

A firm compressive bandage goes around the head. It keeps everything still, helps prevent bleeding and supports healing. It is not removed at home and must not get wet.

The first and second week

It is swapped for a wide elastic band or a special headband, worn at all times, including for sleeping, for at least a week and often two. This is the key phase for the cartilage not to lose the correction achieved in the operating theatre.

From the third to the sixth week

The band is worn only at night, to prevent accidental folds while sleeping, and rubbing. Depending on the case, it may be recommended for three to six more weeks.

For day-to-day life

You can wash your hair, carefully and without wetting the incisions, after three to five days. You sleep on your back, and do not sleep on your side for about two or three weeks. Contact sports, helmets and headphones are avoided during the first month. Normal activity can usually be resumed within a week, but anything that could knock the ears waits at least a month.

The ASPS stresses something that saves trouble: bandages must be kept intact and not removed for any reason, because they are what hold the ear in its new position while it heals.

Is there any way to correct the ears other than an operation?

There are methods using thread techniques or external devices that aim to bring the ears closer to the head. It is a fair question and deserves an honest answer: at the consultation, the surgeon explains what they can and cannot offer in your case, and whether what is needed is to correct the cartilage.

Who will operate on you in Madrid?

At Clínica EGOS you are seen by a registered plastic surgeon, who examines your ears and explains which technique suits your case.

Before you book a date, we tell you in writing who will operate on you, with their registration number with the medical association, and at which centre, with its health registration number.

Where we are in Madrid

Our cosmetic surgery clinic in Madrid is in Chamberí (Calle de Sagasta); you also have a clinic in Retiro (Calle del Doctor Castelo) and Castellana (Avenida del General Perón), and in Alcobendas and Móstoles. The exact addresses and the map are in the "Where we see you" section of this page. To book a visit at any of them, write to info@clinicaegos.com or call +34 932 71 80 69.

What the quote for otoplasty in Madrid includes, and why it varies

Anyone looking up the price of an otoplasty in Madrid finds a lot of figures, and they are all different. It is not carelessness on the part of those who publish them: the cost of this surgery depends on several factors, and without seeing the ears, no figure is serious. That is why at EGOS the quote is handed over in writing after the first consultation, not before.

Why it varies

Four things weigh most. The first is whether one ear or both are operated on: operating only on the one that sticks out does not cost the same as operating on both. The second is what has to be corrected, because reshaping the fold of the antihelix is not the same as also treating a very deep concha or an earlobe, and each step adds operating time.

The third is whether the surgery is a first one or corrects an earlier one, because redoing an otoplasty is more laborious. And the fourth is where it is carried out: the centre, the operating theatre and the type of anaesthesia all affect the cost.

What it should include

A clear quote lists, separately, the initial assessment and tests, the fees of the surgeon and the anaesthetist, the use of the operating theatre, the bandage and medication, and the follow-up visits. We give it to you in writing, itemised.

The initial assessment

The first consultation is where almost all of the above is decided: how many ears, what has to be corrected, which anaesthesia is suitable and where. That is why a serious quote comes out of that visit and not out of a form or a phone call. A price given over the phone without having seen the ears cannot cover what will really be needed.

How to compare two quotes

Compare like with like. Check whether both cover the same operation (one ear or both), whether they include the anaesthetist and the operating theatre, whether the follow-up visits are included or charged separately, and whether there is a validity period. A lower price may leave out items that another includes, and a higher price may cover the whole process.

Day-case, without a hospital stay

Otoplasty is usually a day-case procedure (same-day discharge), meaning you go home the same day, and that avoids the cost of an overnight stay. If the surgeon recommended something different in your case, they would explain it before you sign.

Questions for your first otoplasty consultation in Madrid

Write down: what type of ear yours is and what is being corrected; whether one ear or both will be operated on; which anaesthesia will be used; how long the band has to be worn; when you can go back to work; and what the quote includes.

Take the first step: otoplasty assessment in Madrid

Are you thinking about an otoplasty in Madrid? A first consultation with the surgeon is a chance to look at the ears, resolve doubts and decide calmly, with no obligation to operate. To book, call +34 932 71 80 69; on the page you will also find a form.

Sources for this page

We wrote the text on two supports: what the ASPS explains about otoplasty (definition, who is a candidate and recovery) and an article from our blog (the bandage), all read in October 2026.

Content reviewed by Dr Santiago Elvira i Barberà, plastic surgeon (registration no. 49756) · October 2026

Informative content; it does not replace a consultation with a healthcare professional. The results of any procedure depend on each patient and are assessed individually. Clínica EGOS.