Ears, like eyes, are the windows to the soul. Having a pair of naturally symmetrical ears is not difficult for most people, but for a few people, it is very desirable. Abnormal ear shape and loss of function seriously affect children’s normal life and mental health, so for them, getting a new ear is like rebirth.
With the development of medical technology, the term “costal cartilage” has gradually entered the public eye. The use of autologous costal cartilage to reconstruct the auricle has been widely recognized by scholars at home and abroad, and is the mainstream treatment for microtia. plan.
Cost cartilage, as the most commonly used autologous ear stent material, has its unique advantages: it can avoid the occurrence of rejection reaction and reduce the occurrence of infection; The ear is more personalized and the structure of the new ear is more detailed; the use of its own rib cartilage to reconstruct the auricle makes the difficult family no longer troubled by the high cost, and has a high cost performance.
For the reconstruction of the auricle, the 6th, 7th, and 8th rib cartilages need to be used to create a three-dimensional realistic three-dimensional auricle bracket. The wound is carefully treated, and the perichondrium, muscle, subcutaneous tissue and skin are carefully sutured layer by layer. In most cases, no significant scars are usually left. Since the intact perichondrium is preserved, it creates good conditions for cartilage-like tissue regeneration, and generally does not affect the overall stable structure, shape and development of the thorax.
A certain amount of costal cartilage needs to be excised when making the auricle bracket. If the patient is too young, the costal cartilage will not be developed enough to support the reconstruction of the auricle during surgery. Therefore, it is most important to choose the appropriate timing of surgery. If it is a minor, it is generally the best timing when the age is 8-12 years old and the bust exceeds 55-60cm. During this period, the rib cartilages are as warm as jade, which is very suitable for carving the auricle bracket. With the continuous growth of age, especially in adulthood, the calcification of the costal cartilage will gradually increase. At this time, we will choose to replace the engraving method, which can also achieve the purpose of remodeling the auricle bracket.
Chen Dong, Director of the Department of Otology, Shandong Otolaryngology Hospital, said that the autologous rib cartilage has strong compatibility, avoiding various disadvantages of artificial materials, and the created ear is a living tissue . In some patients, the costal cartilage may be slowly absorbed, and the shape of the reconstructed ear will be more natural. In some patients, the costal cartilage is obviously absorbed due to compression or infection, and the three-dimensional structure of the auricle is partially lost. Therefore, it is also extremely important for patients to protect the newly created ear after surgery. You can choose to wear an auricle protection cover, keep lying flat when resting, or use another side sleeper, and use a softer pillow to prevent the auricle from being squeezed during sleep and cause deformation of the auricle.