title: Reverse-flow postauricular arterial flap for auricular reconstruction.
abstract: Two patients with an ear defect, each reconstructed with a reverse-flow postauricular arterial flap are presented; one defect was caused by accidental exposure of bare cartilage at the posterior helix and the other by traumatic loss of earlobe. After the flaps were transposed, a line of auditory signals was dictated by Doppler probing, which suggested the presence of reverse blood flow in the flaps from the anteroauricular vessels. We believe that the reverse-flow postauricular arterial flap is a reliable and convenient optional tool in the reconstruction of auricular defects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004431:Ear, External / Q000098:blood supply / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014465:Ultrasonics