title: Two flaps and Z-plasty technique for correction of longitudinal ear lobe cleft.
abstract: Various surgical techniques have been reported for the correction of congenital ear lobe deformities. Our method, the two-flaps-and-Z-plasty technique, for correcting the longitudinal ear lobe cleft is presented. This technique is simple and easy to perform. It enables us to keep the bulkiness of the ear lobe with minimal tissue sacrifice, and to make a shorter operation scar. The small Z-plasty at the free ear lobe margin avoids notching deformity and makes the shape of the ear lobe smoother. The result is satisfactory in terms of matching the contralateral normal ear lobe in shape and symmetry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Kangnam St Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, 505 Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, South Korea. pklee@catholic.ac.kr
authors.forename: Paik-Kwon
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hong-Sil
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Jong-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Rhie
authors.forename: Sang-Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Ahn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D016896:Treatment Outcome