Treatment options for partial auricle reconstruction: a prospective study of outcomes and patient satisfaction

Near-Total Ear Avulsion Repaired With Primary Closure and Hyperbaric Oxygen: A Case Series and Review of the Literature

INTRODUCTION

Near-total ear avulsion is a rare and challenging problem to repair with many techniques described; primary repair is an attractive option but is not always successful. Healing may be augmented with postoperative hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), but this technique is under-reported, and an ideal regimen is not known. The study objective is to discuss the role of HBOT in the management of ear avulsion by reviewing 2 unique cases.

METHODS

Case report and review of the literature. A Pubmed search using the terms ear avulsion and postoperative hyperbaric oxygen was performed.

RESULTS

Two pediatric patients presented with near-total avulsion of the auricle after suffering a dog bite. Various management options were discussed including observation, primary repair, post-auricular cartilage banking, graft reconstruction with periauricular tissue or rib cartilage, or microsurgical replantation. The decision was made to perform primary reattachment, followed by adjuvant hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). The patients achieved favorable esthetic results and continue to maintain the function of the reattached ear. Photo documentation was obtained throughout the process.

DISCUSSION

There is no consensus on the management of near-total ear avulsion. Primary repair is ideal from a cosmetic and ease-of-operation standpoint but does not always yield viable tissue. The use of postoperative HBOT is an attractive option that may boost success rates, but the ideal HBOT regimen is unknown. These cases represent a successful application of this innovative technique in a pediatric patient.

Reconstruction of Middle-Third Helical Traumatic Defects With a Two-Stage Approach: Retroauricular Flap and Costal Graft

In this article, we describe the case of a patient suffering from middle-third helical rim avulsion after a bicycle accident, which was reconstructed with a two-stage procedure: (1) performing a postauricular pedicled flap and (2) reconstruction using a costal graft. The article also includes a brief summary of recommendations in the scientific literature about the reconstruction of middle-third auricular defects.