Journal of medical and dental sciences
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Review Case Reports
Reconstruction of congenital microtia by using a tissue expander.
In the conventional reconstruction of microtia, skin grafting is an absolute necessity because of the scantiness of the skin tissue at the affected site. As the result, color- and texture- matching as well as sensory preservation remain to be improved. To solve these problems, we developed a surgical procedure for reconstruction of microtia by using a tissue expander, which allowed us to reconstruct the erect auricle without the need for skin grafting. ⋯ The reconstructed auricle was satisfactory in color- and texture-matching and had nearly normal sensation. No major absorption of the cartilage has been noted for 15 years, although a slight retraction of the expanded skin was observed in each patient. In conclusion, microtia repair by using a tissue expander is superior to that by conventional procedures in color- and texture- matching and sensory preservation of the reconstructed auricle.