title: Borderline indications for ear reconstruction.
abstract: While the indication for an ear reconstruction with rib cartilage is clear in pediatric patients and patients without previous surgery, there are borderline cases in which neither a reconstruction nor a prosthesis seems to be first choice. Within the last 6 years, approximately 120 patients were treated with a reconstruction with rib cartilage and 20 with a prosthesis at our hospital. Patients without extensively scarred periauricular tissue clearly benefit by a reconstruction with cartilage. The classic indication for an ear prosthesis is status post-malignant tumor resection. In borderline cases presenting with heavy scars, the most favorable repair method has to be decided upon individually. Under these circumstances, one of the main criteria for a reconstruction with rib cartilage is a viable temporoparietal fascia flap. A consideration that is important to note is that an unfavorable ear reconstruction can be converted almost always into a prosthesis repair but very rarely vice versa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Katzbach
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frenzel
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Klaiber
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nitsch
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steffen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D002056:Burns / Q000601:surgery; D002356:Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation*; D004428:Ear Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012272:Ribs