Techniques for improving ear definition in microtia reconstruction

Surgeons involved in microtia repair recognize the difficulty in creating a natural appearing ear. One key to successful reconstruction is to provide sufficient relief between the helix, scaphoid fossa and antihelix to create the illusion of thin skin overlying thin cartilage. Problems such as thick skin, hair-bearing skin and poor-quality cartilage serve to frustrate the surgeons attempt to acheive the desired result. Surgical techniques to improve cartilaginous framework definition in microtia repair are discussed.