Cooperative Reconstructive Surgery for Children with Bilateral Microtia and Atresia for Esthetically and Functionally Better Results

In two stages of total ear reconstruction surgery for children with microtia and atresia, plastic surgeons and otologists have cooperated to reduce the number of surgeries and to achieve both esthetically and functionally better results. Ear elevation, external canal plasty and tympanoplasty are performed cooperatively in the second stage of surgery. In the past 5 years we have experienced 70 cases of combined surgery as the second stage of microtia reconstruction:59 boys and 11 girls, 12 cases of bilateral microtia and atresia and 58 cases of unilateral microtia and atresia. Analysis of the 3D CT scan was useful to plan total reconstruction surgery for microtia and atresia, and was important for education and design of surgery. Esthetically and functionally combined surgery at the second stage is convenient to make a natural orifice of the external canal, elevate the external ear and reconstruct the ossicular chain. After bilateral reconstructive surgery, patients with bilateral microtia and atresia can localize sounds in the right and left auditory spaces.