How Much Does Otoplasty Cost in London? (2026 Prices)

Otoplasty (ear pinning) at Centre for Surgery costs from £3,500 for both ears and from £2,800 for one ear, under local anaesthetic. If you would prefer to be asleep, the procedure can be done under TIVA, from £4,500 for both ears.

Otoplasty — also called pinnaplasty, ear pinning, or prominent ear correction — reshapes, resizes, or repositions the ears to bring them into better balance with the face, through an incision hidden behind the ear. It is one of the more affordable cosmetic procedures and has one of the highest satisfaction rates in cosmetic surgery. This guide explains what otoplasty (or pinnaplasty, or ear pinning — all names for the same procedure) costs in London in 2026, what the price includes, how anaesthetic choice and earlobe work affect it, and whether it’s ever available on the NHS. At Centre for Surgery, otoplasty is performed on adults aged 18 and over only.

How much does otoplasty (ear pinning) cost in London?

Pricing depends mainly on whether one or both ears are treated and whether any earlobe work is combined. The table below gives the indicative ranges; your exact quote is confirmed at your in-person consultation once your surgeon has assessed your ears and agreed the surgical plan.

Pay in full or spread the cost, subject to status. See finance options

These are guide prices. London tends to sit slightly above the UK average, reflecting facility standards and surgeon experience. Otoplasty is technically more demanding than it looks — the difference between a natural result and an obviously operated one comes down to cartilage assessment and technique — so the surgeon matters more than a small price difference.

A price tells you what ear pinning costs, not what it looks like afterwards. See our otoplasty before and after photos, and read how to read these photos before judging any surgeon on a gallery, ours included.

What drives the cost of otoplasty?

• One ear or both: treating a single ear costs less than treating both.
• Complexity: straightforward ear pinning is simpler than ear reduction, congenital shape correction such as Stahl’s ear, or cauliflower-ear correction, which take longer and are priced accordingly.
• Anaesthetic choice: local anaesthetic avoids a separate anaesthetist’s fee; TIVA (being fully asleep) is from £4,500 for both ears.
• Earlobe work: combining earlobe repair or reduction adds to the total.
• Primary vs revision: revision otoplasty to correct a previous result is more complex and priced individually.

Does local anaesthetic or TIVA change the price?

Yes — this is the single biggest reason two quotes can differ. Most otoplasty at Centre for Surgery is performed under local anaesthetic with optional mild oral sedation: you are awake and comfortable, there is no separate anaesthetist’s fee, and discharge is faster. That is what the standard prices above reflect. If you would prefer to be fully asleep, TIVA (Total Intravenous Anaesthesia) is available — from £4,500 for both ears including the anaesthetist. Otoplasty combined with earlobe work can also be done under local anaesthetic, at the prices shown above. So a headline price that looks lower may simply be a local-anaesthetic quote, and one that looks higher may include TIVA. When comparing clinics, check which anaesthetic the quote assumes.

How much does otoplasty with earlobe surgery cost?

Earlobe procedures are commonly combined with ear pinning in a single operation, sharing one anaesthetic and recovery:

• Otoplasty with earlobe reduction (both, for enlarged or elongated lobes): from £4,500
• Otoplasty with earlobe repair (both, for split, stretched, or torn lobes): from £4,500

Combining is efficient when you have both prominent-ear and earlobe concerns — one recovery period and one anaesthetic rather than two separate procedures.

How much does earlobe surgery cost on its own?

Earlobe procedures are frequently performed on their own rather than alongside ear pinning, under local anaesthetic in a single short appointment. They are minor procedures, so they sit well below otoplasty pricing.

Earlobe repair — from £500

Earlobe repair closes a split, torn, or stretched lobe. Pricing depends on the extent of reconstruction needed:

• One earlobe: from £500
• Both earlobes, same appointment: from £900
• Tribal (stretched gauge) earlobe repair: from £1,200 per earlobe

Tribal repair is priced higher because closing a deliberately stretched lobe is a reconstruction rather than a simple closure — there is redundant, thinned tissue to excise and the lobe has to be rebuilt to a natural contour, which takes considerably longer than a straightforward split repair.

Earlobe reduction — from £800

Earlobe reduction reshapes lobes that are enlarged, elongated, or that have stretched with age (the earlobe keeps lengthening throughout adult life, as our guide to whether ears keep growing explains):

• One earlobe: from £800
• Both earlobes, same appointment: from £1,200

Pixie ear correction and more complex reshaping are priced individually at consultation. Where pixie ear correction is performed as part of a facelift, it is included in the facelift pricing where appropriate.

Combining earlobe procedures

• Bilateral earlobe repair with earlobe reduction: from £1,600
• Bilateral earlobe reduction with otoplasty: from £4,500
• Bilateral earlobe repair with otoplasty: from £4,500

Standalone earlobe procedures include your surgeon’s fee, procedure room time at our CQC-regulated Baker Street facility, local anaesthetic, post-operative dressings and antibiotic ointment, suture removal at day 5–7, and clinical review and aftercare.

Single earlobe repair at entry-level pricing is not typically financed — the cost is modest enough that most patients self-fund. Finance through Chrysalis Finance is available for larger combined procedures.

What’s included in the price of otoplasty?

Your quote at Centre for Surgery is itemised and confirmed in writing. The standalone price covers:

• Your surgeon’s fee
• Theatre time at our CQC-regulated Baker Street hospital
• Local anaesthetic (and oral sedation if required)
• Your supportive headband
• Pre-operative medical assessment
• Unlimited pre-operative consultations with your surgeon
• Same-day discharge
• Your surgeon’s direct number for the first 24 hours
• A dedicated patient coordinator
• Aftercare including a wound check at 1 week, surgeon review at 6 weeks, and a 3-month assessment

If you choose to be asleep, TIVA is priced from £4,500 for both ears; prescribed medication is charged separately.

Can I get otoplasty on the NHS?

Otoplasty is usually treated as a cosmetic procedure and is not routinely funded by the NHS. In some cases the NHS may consider funding correction of significantly prominent ears where there is clear, documented psychological distress and other options have been explored — but this is decided case by case, and where treatment is available, waiting lists can run to many months or longer. Speak to your GP about eligibility. The long waits and tight criteria are a common reason patients choose to have ear surgery privately at a time that suits them.

Can you get otoplasty on finance?

You can pay in full or spread the cost with finance through Chrysalis Finance, subject to status. Plans and a representative example are on our finance options page, and a patient coordinator can talk you through them on 020 7993 4849.

Is otoplasty worth the cost?

For someone genuinely self-conscious about prominent, large, or asymmetric ears, otoplasty offers good value: it is a single, day-case procedure under local anaesthetic, the result is permanent, the scar sits hidden behind the ear, and it has one of the highest satisfaction rates of any cosmetic operation because the concern is specific and the correction is reliable. There is no maintenance and no repeat treatment.

It is worth being honest about when it isn’t the right spend. If your ears fall within normal variation and the wish to change them is driven by a recent comment, a relationship, or social pressure rather than a long-standing concern, we will say so at consultation — we would rather advise against surgery than operate on everyone who asks. And because we operate on adults 18 and over only, otoplasty for a child or teenager is something we would revisit when they are old enough to make the decision independently.

Why choose Centre for Surgery for otoplasty?

Otoplasty requires precise cartilage assessment, correct technique selection, and accurate suture placement — errors produce asymmetry or recurrence that is hard to correct later. At Centre for Surgery:

• GMC-registered surgeons: all otoplasty is performed by GMC-registered plastic surgeons, members of BAPRAS and ISAPS. We don’t use cosmetic doctors or non-specialist practitioners for ear surgery.
• CQC-regulated private hospital: our purpose-built hospital at 95-97 Baker Street is independently inspected and rated “Good” by the Care Quality Commission.
• Adults 18+ only: a firm policy, regardless of parental consent, so every patient can give fully independent, informed consent.
• Full range of techniques: cartilage moulding (Mustarde, Furnas) and cartilage scoring/excision (Farrior, Converse) — so the recommendation matches your specific cartilage anatomy rather than defaulting to one approach.
• Honest case selection: if your ears fall within normal variation, we’ll discuss that openly rather than simply booking the procedure.
• Local anaesthetic as standard, with TIVA available if you prefer to be asleep.
• Two-week cooling-off period as standard, and finance through Chrysalis Finance.

Book your otoplasty consultation

• Phone: 020 7993 4849
• Email: contact@centreforsurgery.com
• Address: 95-97 Baker Street, Marylebone, London W1U 6RN
• Contact us to schedule your consultation

Your initial in-person consultation is £100, redeemable against the cost of surgery if you proceed. Consultation lines are open Monday to Saturday, 9am–6pm.

Frequently Asked Questions: Otoplasty, ear pinning and pinnaplasty cost

Learn more about otoplasty

• Otoplasty (ear reshaping surgery)
• Revision otoplasty
• Earlobe repair
• Earlobe reduction
• Rhinoplasty
• Chin augmentation