Otoplasty: an analysis of technique over a 33-year period.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the merits of otoplasty technique with a diverse patient population as experienced spanning a period greater 30 years.


METHODS
A review of a series of otoplasty cases that occurred in two distinctly different clinical settings during a 33-year period.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of 211 patients undergoing otoplasty from 1969 to 1982 in a military hospital setting was compared with 118 patients receiving otoplasty from 1982 to 2002 in a university/private practice setting. The patient population consisted of 180 adults and 149 children.


RESULTS
Otoplasty patients in the military setting were primarily adults, whereas those in the university/private practice setting were primarily children. In the adult population, 98.9% of patients required use of lateral conchal cartilage resection combined with a mattress suture technique. In the pediatric population, all patients required use of a mattress suture technique and in 83.2% of selected cases limited lateral conchal cartilage resection was required.


CONCLUSIONS
Otoplasty technique involving lateral conchal cartilage resection, mattress suture fixation, or a combination of both is applicable to diverse patient populations.
Stucker
Fred J
FJ
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, Shreveport 71130, USA. FStuck@lsuhsc.edu
Vora
Neil M
NM
Lian
Timothy S
TS
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004425:Ear Cartilage / Q000601:surgery; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D004954:Esthetics; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011331:Private Practice; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013536:Suture Techniques