Correction of Congenital Auricular Deformities Using the Ear-Molding Technique

Background Studies of the ear-molding technique have emphasized the importance of initiating molding early to achieve the best results. In the present study, we describe the immediate effects and long-term outcomes of this technique, focusing on children who were older than the ideal age of treatment initiation.

Methods Patients who visited our institution from July 2014 to November 2015 were included. Medical charts were reviewed to collect data on demographics, the duration of treatment, the types of deformities, and the manner of recognition of the deformity and referral to our institution. Parents were surveyed to assess the degree of improvement, the level of procedural discomfort at the end of treatment, any changes in the shape of the molded auricle, and overall satisfaction 12 months after their last follow-up visits.

Results A review of 28 ears in 18 patients was conducted, including the following types of deformities: constricted ear (64.2%), Stahl ear (21.4%), prominent ear (7.1%), and cryptotia (7.1%). The average score for the degree of improvement, rated on a 5-point scale (1, very poor; 5, excellent), was 3.5 at the end of treatment, with a score of 2.6 for procedural discomfort (1, very mild; 5, very severe). After 12 months, the shapes of all ears were well maintained. The average overall satisfaction score was 3.6 (1, very dissatisfied; 5, very satisfied).

Conclusions We had reasonable outcomes in older patients. After 1 year of follow-up, these outcomes were well maintained. Patients past the ideal age at presentation can still be candidates for the molding technique.

Keywords

Ear cartilage - Delayed diagnosis - Retrospective studies - Follow-up studies

This work was supported by grants from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Korean government (No. NRF- 2015R1D1A1A01060361, IS Yun) and presented at the 73rd Congress of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons on November 14, 2015 in Seoul, Korea.

Publication History

Received: 22 April 2016

Accepted: 19 October 2016

Article published online:
20 April 2022

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