Ear lobe surgery is most often performed to repair torn ear lobes, or to reduce the ear lobes after the removal of very large piercings. Additionally, ear lobes may sometimes be reduced surgically to correct for age related elongation, especially in patients with a history of wearing heavy earrings.

Surgery is typically performed in the office under local anesthetic and, depending on the damage, may need to be performed in stages. The series of photos below demonstrates a typical torn ear lobe prior to repair, immediately following repair, and one week later.