Salvage of the ear in acute trauma.

Salvage of the ear in major acute trauma has been refined over the years. When severed parts were merely discarded, patients had to accept the defect or seek correction by secondary reconstruction. As primary reconstruction improved, the severed parts were reattached minimizing late deformities. Even when severed parts were not available, primary reconstruction advanced to meet the need. In the future it appears that immediate microvascular reconstruction will surpass our present achievements.