Prominent Conchal Bowl

The conchal bowl is the portion of the ear that can make the cup of the ear look too prominent. This can be from a combination of factors which includes excessive cartilage formation, poor angulation between the ear and the head.

Correction of the prominent conchal bowl may be done with a suture using what is called a setback sutures. The suture secures the conchal bowl to the mastoid (bone behind the ear) with a series of sutures. The goal of this procedure is to make the middle of the ear less prominent.

In select cases, the middle portion of the ear cartilage (aka the conchal bowl) is either weakened, scored, or excised so that the ear may be secured with a better long term result. This is typically performed in older patients where the cartilage of the conchal bowl can be quite thick.