Working within the National Health Service for almost thirty years, Consultant Plastic Surgeon David Gault offered an expert ear reconstruction service at Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood and The Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street. In 2006, he set up the London Centre for Ear Reconstruction, based at the Portland Hospital in London, for UK and international patients, and for both private and NHS referrals (by prior arrangement with your Primary Care Trust).
At the LCEAR, Mr Gault treats all types of deformity of the external ear, from minor to major, aesthetic to reconstructive, and congenital (from birth) to later, acquired problems such as ear cancer, chondritis (inflammation of the ear cartilage), and trauma after bite injuries, burns and accidents.
Ear tags (pre-auricular tags), accessory (extra) auricles, sticking-out ears and many other types of misshapen ears can be corrected simply, and soon after birth, by splintage with Ear Buddies™, avoiding surgery and school-age teasing. Ear reconstruction for those born without ears is best delayed until the age of 10 or 11, so that cartilage can be harvested from the ribcage when it has grown large enough. Aesthetic ear surgery, for example for large ears or lobes, split lobes caused by earrings or the "facelift ear", is commonly performed in adulthood.