The aesthetics of the preauricular graft in facial reconstruction

In the past six years we have used 55 preauricular full-thickness skin grafts to reconstruct defects of the nose, medial canthal area, forehead, and lip. Results have been good to excellent in all cases. The donor incision is the same one used for a rhytidectomy in which the sole reason for operation is cosmetic. Hence the donor scar in this area must certainly be considered cosmetically acceptable.