Microtia Reconstruction With Irradiated Homograft Costal Cartilage: A Preliminary Report Publisher



Yazdi AK¹ ; Amali A¹ ; Firouzi F¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Indian Journal of Otology Published:2015

Abstract

Background: Reconstruction of microtia is a challenging issue in otology. Autogenous costochondral reconstruction is the most widely accepted approach. However, it is time-consuming and has some limitations. Irradiated homograft costal cartilage has been proposed as a suitable alternative. In the present study, we represent our experience with this approach. Patients and Methods: A total of 19 ears were treated with irradiated homograft costal cartilage prepared from 18 to 40 years old cadaver under a standardized processing method. The reconstruction was achieved a two-stage procedure with at least 3 months interval. Results: The study population included 9 (56.25%) males and 7 (43.75%) females with the mean age of 13.7 ± 5.1 years. Microtia was bilateral in 3, right-sided in 8 and left-sided in 5 subjects. Averagely, subjects were followed for 36.0 ± 9.9 months during which none of the cases showed cartilage resorption. Short-term and long-term complications were negligible. Totally, 90% of subjects were satisfied with the procedure. Conclusion: Irradiated homograft costal cartilage resulted in relatively high satisfaction and low complication rates for auricular reconstruction. Esthetic appearances of the reconstructed auricle were acceptable. The advantages of this approach are the elimination of additional incisions for graft harvesting and donor-site morbidity.