A modified two-stage ear reconstruction with integrated correction: Reduced cartilage harvest and operative time for bilateral microtia.

BACKGROUND

Bilateral microtia can present with different bilateral classifications. Traditional surgical techniques require prolonged operative time and substantial amounts of costal cartilage. The surgical strategy used in this study was developed with the aim to provide a surgical technique to minimize surgery duration and costal cartilage harvest.

METHODS

This retrospective study involved 84 patients in the experimental group (EG) who underwent the new surgery technique, and 65 patients in the control group (CG) who underwent traditional surgery from July 2022 to July 2024 in the Plastic Surgery Hospital. Postoperative follow-up included assessment using the Likert satisfaction scale, costal cartilage harvest number, surgery duration, and ear measurements.

RESULTS

Patients were assessed during follow-ups ranging from 12 to 24 months postoperatively. The satisfaction rate of the EG was higher than that of CG (p<0.01). Costal cartilage harvest number and total anesthesia time of the EG were significantly less than that of CG (p<0.01). The ear measurements indicated that our surgical method achieved comparable symmetry in ear size to the traditional technique.

CONCLUSIONS

The Nagata two-stage method of auricular reconstruction combined with helix cartilage scaffold ear correction effectively addresses the bilateral microtia of lobule and concha types. This approach conserves cartilage requirement, reduces surgical time, and achieves superior long-term outcomes compared to traditional methods.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.