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CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2017; 44(05): 453-456
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2017.44.5.453
Idea and Innovation

The Rolling Earlobe Flap for Dilated Ear Holes Following Ear Gauging: A Novel Approach to Aesthetically Preserving Earlobe Soft Tissue Volume

Authors

  • Wan-Sze Pek

    Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore

  • Lin Hon Terence Goh

    Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore

  • Chong Han Pek

    Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Section, Department of General Surgery, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore

This article was presented as the Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery Meeting 2016 on Sep 2–3 in Singapore.
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Patients are increasingly seeking repair of their earlobes following ear gauging. Research has shown that current repair techniques either excessively reduce the lobular volume or leave an obvious scar along the free edge of the earlobe. In our case series, we describe the use of a novel technique for repairing earlobes following ear gauging using a rolling earlobe flap that preserves the lobular volume and avoids leaving a scar on the free edge of the lobule. The procedure was performed on 3 patients (6 earlobes) who had defects from ear gauging that ranged from 3.0 to 6.5 cm. There were no postoperative complications of infection, wound dehiscence, flap necrosis, hypertrophic scars, or keloids, and all patients were highly satisfied with the postoperative results. This versatile technique allows for an aesthetically pleasing reconstruction of the lobule with the advantages of: the absence of a surgical scar on the free edge of the lobule, preserving the lobule volume, and presenting a highly customizable technique that allows lobules to be created with various shapes and volumes.

Keywords

Ear deformities, acquired - Body piercing - Surgical flaps


Publication History

Received: 19 December 2016

Accepted: 27 June 2017

Article published online:
20 April 2022

© 2017. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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