Importance and necessity of surgical combinations in the correction of prominent ears for natural and long-lasting results

Abstract

Introduction: Many surgical methods are defined to correct prominent ears, with the most common being external auditory canal anomaly. Trying to treat cases where different anatomic structures coexist in the anomaly increases the risk of additional surgical intervention or causes an unnatural appearance. In this study, it was demonstrated that application of varying surgical combinations depending on the anatomic components which cause prominent ears would produce natural and long-lasting results. Materials and Methods: Seventy-one patients, with antihelix tube development defect, conchal hypertrophy, or both, were operated in our clinic between 2004 and 2018 (age range: 6–43 years, 42 females and 29 males). Four different methods were employed, consisting of postauricular skin excision of 0.5–1.5 cm, posterior abrasion of the antihelix and shaping with Mustarde sutures, semilunar excision from the large and mispositioned concha and connecting the ends before securing loosely to the mastoid fascia, and securing the dermo-perichondrial flap to the mastoid fascia. Three different surgical combinations were utilized on three patient groups with antihelix formation defect, concha hypertrophy, or both. Results: Patients were followed up for 2 years on an average, 6 months at minimum. No major complications were encountered except for one patient who had an opening of the upper pole, while another had it on both sides. All patients stated their satisfaction with the result. Conclusion: The purpose of prominent ear treatment should not only be formation of the antihelix or bringing the ear closer to head.Different problems can be solved separately with combined treatment, and more natural and lasting results can be obtained.

Keywords

• antihelix deformation
• conchal excision
• natural results
• prominent ear
• surgical combinations