Specify the ear change
Ear surgery is not one uniform operation. Mafi describes concerns about projection, size, position and shape, with techniques chosen around the patient's anatomy. Ask the surgeon to identify what is different about each ear and to describe the change intended on the right and left. This matters when asymmetry is part of the reason for consultation.
Ask how the change would be made
ASPS describes ear surgery as reshaping or repositioning ear structures. Discuss where incisions would be, how cartilage would be addressed in the proposed technique, what scars may be visible, and what limits the amount of correction. A photograph of someone else's ears can clarify a preference but does not replace an anatomical plan.
Prepare for the follow-up period
Confirm the facility, anesthesia discussion, early dressing or protection instructions, the first follow-up and activity limits. Ask what the team wants to hear about promptly during recovery. If the patient is a child, include a realistic discussion of school, play and help following instructions without presenting a fixed universal timeline. Discuss whether the planned change should look natural from both the front and the side, not just in a single photograph.
Questions and answers
Will both ears end up perfectly identical?
Natural differences exist; ask what symmetry is realistic for the examined ears.
Are incisions always behind the ear?
Mafi describes behind-ear or natural-crease placements; ask which location is proposed for this case.