Special field

Auricle

Various auricular reconstructions including the congenital anomaly such as microtia and the acquired defect and otoplasty are managed.

Microtia

As a treatment, it is necessary to perform an operation more than 2 times ideally around 10 year-old. Finally, it becomes almost natural-looking ear in appearance.
The costal cartilages taken from the patient's breast are changed into the shape of the auricle and grafted. Because the skin is not sufficient to cover the costal cartilages in shape of the ear, we have to consider the skin coverage method, We select it among two operation methods.1) Expander method: we perform the skin expansion before the cartilage graft, which is excellent in the color match and also maintain the sensibility. 2) Modified Nagata method: we perform the cartilage graft first, after more than 3 months ear elevation with skin graft is performed.

  • Expander method

  • full expansion
    harvested costal cartilage framework

  • post operative 1year

Publications

  • Okazaki M, Sakurai A. Lupus vulgaris of an earlobe. Ann Plast Surg 1997; 39: 643-646.
  • Hata Y. Do not forget the fundamental merits of microtia repair using a tissue expander. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 2002; 109: 819-820
  • Mori H, Hata Y, Umeda T, Tanaka K. Ear reconstruction in elderly patients: a two-part helix method in a framework. British Journal of Plastic Surgery 2002; 55: 589-591
  • Hata Y, Hosokawa K, Yano K, et al. Correction of Congenital Microtia Using the Tissue Expander. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 84: 741-751, 1989