A Two-Stage Method for Adult Congenital Microtia: The Essentials of 15-Year Experience.

HYPOTHESIS: Treatment of congenital microtia in adults remains challenging due to the unique physiological characteristics of the costal cartilages and retroauricular skin, which interfere with obtaining a satisfactory aesthetic result; thus, different perspectives and technical modifications during treatment are warranted. This article aims to present complementary new information and essential tips to refine the surgical technique in adult microtia reconstruction.

METHODS

A total of 346 adult microtia patients underwent surgical intervention at the Auricular Reconstruction Center of Plastic Surgery Hospital (Beijing, China) between 2006 and 2021. Each patient underwent a rigorous preoperative evaluation and stages one and two surgeries.

RESULTS

Patients were followed in our clinic for 6 months to 10 years (average: 15.3 months). The postoperative complication rate was 8.1%, which included cartilage exposure, broken helix, local hematoma, infection, poor skin graft survival, and scar hypertrophy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed that the two-stage treatment strategy for adults is versatile, reliable, and effective for the treatment of congenital microtia.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 133:2148-2153, 2023.