A New Skin Excision Pattern to Correct Protruding Ear Lobe Deformity in Prominent Ears

PURPOSE

Correction of the ear lobe protrusion is challenging problem in prominent ear cases because of the dependence of only skin excision procedures instead of cartilage reshaping methods.  Fish tail skin excision is usually performed, but the results don't always satisfactory. We excised extra triangle shape skin islands to deal with this problem. 

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We use this method in five prominent ear cases. We drew one or more triangle after planned of the skin excision line at the posterior aspect of the ear. The base of the triangle placed to the outer line of the elliptical excision or fish tail excision.

We excised of this triangle shaped skin islands besides of the elliptical skin excision.

RESULTS

Results of the operations were satisfactory. We could obtain better ear lobe position in the prominent ear cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical techniques for the correction of prominent ears can be grouped into operations that involve excision of cartilage, molding the ear with sutures, molding the ear with scoring or sculpting of cartilage, or a combination of any of the above. Anyone or combination of these surgical methods usually correct the deformity of prominent ear. In most of the cases, elliptical skin excision is carried out at the postauricular region, thus excess skin is removed, and it helps to maintain the new position of the ear. However, fish tail skin excision at the distal of this elliptical excision is performed same time to correct of the ear lobe protrusion. But, this fish tail skin excision usually provides inadequate correction in protruding ear lobe component of the prominent ear cases. Because there is plenty skin at the posterior aspect of the ear lobe, and almost in all skin must be removed to successful set back. However we added one or more triangle shape skin excision which its apex to the helical margin with the fish tail excision, and we could obtain beter ear lobe position.