The ear hears through sound passing through the external auditory canal, hitting the tympanic membrane and ossicles and finally reaching the cochlea before traveling to the brain. Any impedance along the way can affect hearing. It is extremely uncommon for an otoplasty to affect hearing. In patients with setback sutures, if the surgeon places the suture too close to the external auditory canal, a narrowing of the canal can occur, which could potentially affect hearing.
