[Reconstruction of the pinna in cases of microtia]

Pessimism about the results of surgical reconstruction of the pinna in cases of microtia is unjustified. Currently there are two techniques available which give excellent results if conditions are favourable: these are the techniques of Brent and of Nagata. This article describes both of these techniques, whose common principle is the use of autologous costal cartilage sculptured to give the contour of a normal ear, and the areas where they are different. The author has carried out 154 reconstructions using the Brent technique and 92 using the Nagata technique, and gives a critical analysis of the results obtained by these two methods.