Ear surgery for children or adults can set prominent ears back closer to the head and reduce the size of large ears. Surgery may also be helpful for “lop ear," "cupped ear" and "shell ear,” large or stretched earlobes, and lobes with creases and wrinkles. The procedure lasts from two to three hours and may be performed in a hospital, office-based facility or an outpatient surgery center under general or local anesthesia.