[Local reconstruction of partial auricular defects]

Partial auricular defects are often caused by resection of skin tumors. These patients are mainly older and often in reduced general condition. Therefore very expenditure surgical approaches seem to be dangerous.

In most cases the resection of the tumor is possible in local anaesthesia. The reconstruction should be started after maintenance of the final histology. Next to the defect, the localisation leads to the right way of surgical treatment. Localized defects of the helical rim or auricular dorsum, concha and lobulus can be corrected with easy-to-perform local tissue transfers and flaps. Complex auricular defects with additional surgical steps like a neck dissection need general anaesthesia. As result of the preselected patients surgical single step reconstruction-procedure are preferable. In these patients, because of the size of the defect, previous operations or radiation larger local flaps from the neck region or the scalp are necessary.

With limited surgical expenditure most patients can obtain an aesthetically satisfying result. This avoids stigmatisation in an area that is hard to hide, which is important to elderly patients as well.