Reconstruction of the Ear

The ear is prone to various types of skin cancers, which include basal cell, squamous cell, and melanoma. The key to reconstructing the ear after cancer resection is to make sure the cancer has been completely removed prior to reconstructing the missing parts. If not, it is very difficult to eradicate and will likely recur and develop metastases.

The principles for reconstructing the ear are to understand the anatomy of the external ear, which presents a difficult challenge depending on the location. There are various surgical techniques that have been described for its reconstruction, many of these techniques are complex, and perhaps even require free tissue transfer from other parts of the body. The goal is to leave you looking like you never had a procedure in your ears.