The human ear is a defining feature of the face and an important key in the natural, harmonious, aesthetically pleasing face.

The development of plastic surgery procedures, such as the refinement of J.F. Dieffenbach's ear surgery techniques, has established more than 170 otoplasty procedures for correcting prominent ears, and for correcting the defects and deformities of the pinna; as such, otoplasty corrections are in three surgical-technique groups:

Group I - Techniques that leave intact the cartilage support-framework of the ear, and reconfigure the distance and the angle of projection of the pinna from the head, solely by means of sutures for creating an anti helical fold:

a)  Mustardé technique 

b)  Merck stitch method

c)  Incisionless Fritsch otoplasty

Group II — Techniques that resect (cut and remove) the pertinent excess cartilage from the support-framework of the pinna.

Group III — Techniques that combine the excision of cartilage portions from the support framework of the pinna, in order to reduce the degree of projection and the distance of the external ear from the head.