Follow-up study of reconstructed auricle in microtia: comparison of the results of the rib cartilage framework and the silicone rubber framework methods.

Plastic surgery for microtia had achieved fairly consistent good results since TANZER (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 23: 1-15, 1959) and recently the modified methods have become popular. The authors did plastic surgery of auricles with the rib cartilage framework method from 1968 until 1986, and with the silicone rubber framework method from 1975 until 1986, and observed each postoperative course for 2 to 10 years. The operative results and the merits and the demerits of each method are reported here. The subjects were 49 ears for the rib cartilage framework method (17 of the former period, 1968-1977, and 32 of the latter, 1978-1986), and 20 ears for the silicone rubber framework method. The operation was performed in 3 stages according to the modified Tanzer's method. The results of operations were subjectively assessed as "satisfied," "fairly satisfied," "a little unsatisfied," and "unsatisfied." The results were as follows: 1) in the rib cartilage framework method, there were 21 satisfied cases (43%), 17 fairly satisfied cases (35%), and 5 unsatisfied cases (10%); 2) there were 8 satisfied cases (40%), 5 fairly satisfied cases (25%), and 6 unsatisfied cases (30%) in the silicone rubber framework method. From the aspect of postoperative management, the rib cartilage framework method is now better but the authors expect the silicone rubber framework method will be improved and used more extensively in the future.