One of the most difficult problems in ear reconstruction is the extreme shortage of available skin to cover the reconstructed framework. To accomplish the successful outcome of total ear reconstruction is equally dependent on the quality and quantity of available skin coverage.
The prerequisite to good skin coverage should be thin, hairless, sensitive, good color-match, pliable, well-vascularized and easily available. In an effort to obtain this good skin coverage, we used the tissue expander as the first stage of auricle reconstruction in congenital microtial and traumatic anotia. We felt that expanded skin provides thin, pliable and well-vascularized cover for framework of autogenous cartilage graft or silastic implant, especially, the expanded skin flap was excellent for contour of the cartilagenous framework. But there are some contractures of the expanded pocket so that it is difficult to keep the deep auriculocephalic sulcus as that of immediate operation. This paper represents the authors’ 5 to 19 months experience with 6 cases in 5 patients of a ear reconstruction in which tissue expander was used.
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