The normal auricle has a well-recognized configuration of depressions and projections. Although there are many variations, significant deviations from ˝normal˝ are immediately evident. Because of that reason, prominent ears are a relatively frequent cause of patient concern. Correction of the outstanding ear requires a careful anatomic analysis to determine the precise cause. That will allow appropriate preoperative planning and selection of the appropriate technique. In selecting appropriate techniques from the many that are described in the literature, the surgeon's priority must be the achievement of a natural-looking improvement. In general, techniques that reposition rather than resect cartilage are preferred. The auricles regularly, due to exceptional elasticity of cartilage, postoperatively partially return to the starting position. Therefore, during operation a smaller hypercorrection is made, which means the auricles are placed tighter than the finally desired position. The aim of the operation is not only to position the auricle in a proper position towards the skull, but also to form normal anatomical structures of the auricle. In the late 19th and throughout the 20th century, numerous surgical procedures have been described for the correction of protruding ears. Otoplasty origins date back to ancient 1845. Precisely that wide range of options makes it difficult for the surgeon to select the correct technique that suits best for individual patients. In most cases, the appearance of protruding ears is not significantly associated with other anatomical or physiological abnormalities. However, social and psychological manifestations leave their mark on most patients, which explains the large number of surgical techniques that have been presented in literature over the last two centuries. This paper gives an overview through the history of otoplasty of protruding ears is given as well as significant discoveries in that field. Furthermore, key measures that should be kept in mind in the preoperative and intraoperative course are presented. Also, the most common methods for correcting protruding ears are described in detail, as well as postoperative procedures and common complications that can occur after surgery.