Ear Reconstruction

Tuan A. Truong, MD

Renata S. Maricevich, MD

The human ear is one of the first things we see when we meet someone new, and one of the last things we notice unless something is amiss. Would Mr. Spock be as famous if he had normal ears or Van Gogh the same painter with both of his?

The ear is composed of a complex network of cartilage covered by thin, adherent skin. Any disruption of this balance necessitates a multilevel approach for reconstruction. As such, there is significant functional and emotional impact on patients. This challenging approach to restore normalcy can affect both the pediatric as well as the adult population.

The goal of this issue of Seminars in Plastic Surgery is to exemplify and demonstrate contemporary techniques and general concepts when approaching the ear. We have covered a wide variety of relevant topics, including nonsurgical techniques in the infant, and a special emphasis on microtia reconstruction today.

We would like to thank our invited authors for all of their hard work and input. We are pleased to share this, and hope that the readers will come away with a deeper understanding of auricular reconstruction and apply their new knowledge to improve patient care.