Placement of Biodesign Otologic Repair Graft During Pinnaplasty to Prevent Suture Extrusion: A Single-Centre...

Pinnaplasty is a widely performed procedure to correct prominent ears. A known complication is suture extrusion, which may delay recovery and require revision surgery.

To assess whether the placement of Biodesign Otologic Repair Graft over Mustardé sutures reduces the rate of suture extrusion.

This was a retrospective single-centre clinical audit of 54 consecutive patients (aged ≤ 18 years) who underwent pinnaplasty by a single surgeon between 2011 and 2024. Patients were grouped according to whether Biodesign Otologic Repair Graft was used, and all were followed for up to 12 months post-operatively. The primary outcome was suture extrusion; secondary outcomes included revision surgery and other complications.

Suture extrusion occurred in 7/216 sutures (3.24%) in the non-Biodesign group and 0/126 sutures (0%) in the Biodesign group (p = 0.047). One patient in the Biodesign group developed a keloid requiring revision.

The use of Biodesign Otologic Repair Graft was associated with a reduced rate of suture extrusion in this single-centre audit, with minimal complications. Larger prospective studies are needed to assess cost-effectiveness, long-term safety and generalisability.