Abstract
Background
Organ reconstruction is one of the most challenging tasks in plastic and reconstructive surgery. This is particularly true of ear reconstruction, which requires enormous attention to detail.
Methods
In the first of two articles, we set out details and precautions for each step of the preoperative and intraoperative stages of the ear reconstruction process for microtia patients. We cover preoperative screening and assessment of surgical conditions, the design of intraoperative incisions, flap separations, costal cartilage extraction, framework carving and cranial ear angle surgery.
Results
Over the period Jan 2015–July 2021, our surgical team carried out 1012 microtia ear reconstructions, at the rate of 3–4 per week. This article presents the key learnings from this high volume of operations. Two typical cases involving different types of microtia are presented in order to illustrate the process of total ear reconstruction.
Conclusions
This article describes in detail the preoperative and intraoperative stages of the ear reconstruction process. We share our cumulative surgical experience gained over 20 years, especially the latest practical lessons gleaned over the last six and a half years.
Level of Evidence IV
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Funding
This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 81974291) and Fundamental research program funding of Ninth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong university School of Medicine (JYZZ143).
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Chen, X., Zhang, R., Zhang, Q. et al. Microtia Part I: Preoperation and In-operation Lessons from 1012 Ear Reconstruction Operations. Aesth Plast Surg 46, 2781–2787 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-022-02818-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-022-02818-6