Ear Reconstruction for Microtia

The patient is a seven-year-old male who has undergone staged procedures for the reconstruction of the undeveloped or microtic ear. It is important to delay surgery until the patient has reach an age when most of the ear growth has been achieved on the opposite side. The surgeon uses the opposite ear as a guide, or template, to achieve an artistic reconstruction. In this patient, the result demonstrates a close-to-normal appearing reconstructed ear. This represents the optimal result available in ear reconstruction.

Microtia/Atresia Before and After Reconstruction

This patient underwent multiple surgical stages using autogenous rib cartilage to achieve a normal appearing left ear. The ear canal has also been opened so that the patient can hear with his reconstructed ear. NOTE: The before 3 and after 3 images are of the patient's normal ear and are shown for comparison.

Ear Reconstruction For Microtia

This patient was born with "microtia," which refers to lack of development of the external ear. She required a multi-staged surgical approach, using her own cartilage and skin grafts, to achieve a natural appearing ear.

Traumatic Ear Amputation/Reconstruction

This patient lost the upper 2/3rds of his left ear in a motorcycle accident. Only the earlobe remained. The defect was originally skin grafted. Subsequently, he underwent ear reconstruction using a carved cartilage framework from his own rib cartilage.

Ear Helix Reconstruction

This patient suffered the loss of the rim (helix) of her left ear in an accident. In order to rescue the exposed ear cartilage, the rim was buried under the skin behind the ear. Once this had healed, the ear was released (elevated), and a skin graft was placed behind the ear to achieve a normal looking ear.

Ear Reconstruction After Road Trauma

This patient sustained a severe injury to the right ear as the result of her head striking the pavement and dirt. This resulted in multiple dirt tattoos, and the detachment of the root of the helix. The tattoos were surgically excised and the helix defect was restored using a blood-bearing pre-aricular transposition flap.

Ear Reconstruction, Goldenhar's Syndrome

This patient had under development of the upper half of her right ear as a part of a congenital condition known as Goldenhar's Syndrome. The ear was reconstructed by creating a carved cartilage framework and joining this to the existing deficient external ear, which was rotated downwards and backwards to provide a more natural ear.

Ear Reconstruction For Microtia

This patient was born with a microtic right ear. After rotating the earlobe of the microtic ear downward, a carved cartilage framework was implanted to create a new ear.

Ear Reconstruction Surgery After Trauma

This woman was involved in an automobile accident, which resulted in the amputation of the upper portion of her ear. Reconstruction was achieved using a chonchal cartilage graft, which when placed under the skin matched the shape of the upper ear.

Microtia Repair With Cartilage Grafts

This child was born with the typical deformity of the microtic ear, which is a manifestation of the first and second Branchial Arch Syndrome. Her ear was successfully reconstructed using her own cartilage and skin grafts.

Ear Deformity With Plagiocephaly

Plagiocephaly is a condition in which the cranium is asymmetrical, or flat on one side, and can be associated with other deformities such as microtia. In this case, the existing ear was divided in the center, and the parts were rotated upward and downward respectively. The central portion required a carved cartilage framework from the patient's own rib cartilage in order to achieve a more natural ear.