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Rosi-Schumacher et al. Plast Aesthet Res 2022;9:11 Plastic and
DOI: 10.20517/2347-9264.2021.64
Aesthetic Research

Review Open Access

Partial auricular reconstruction surgery for facial
skin cancer

2
1
Mattie Rosi-Schumacher , Tom Shokri , Benjamin Bassichis 3
1
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at
Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA.
2
Department of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, The George
Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
3
Department of Facial Plastic Surgery, Advanced Facial Plastic Surgery Center, Dallas, TX 75254, USA.
Correspondence to: Dr. Tom Shokri, Department of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head
& Neck Surgery, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, 2300 I St NW, Washington, DC
20052, USA. E-mail: tom.shokri@gmail.com
How to cite this article: Rosi-Schumacher M, Shokri T, Bassichis B. Partial auricular reconstruction surgery for facial skin cancer.
Plast Aesthet Res 2022;9:11. https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-9264.2021.64

Received: 15 Jun 2021 First Decision: 15 Oct 2021 Revised: 12 Dec 2021 Accepted: 21 Dec 2021 Published: 8 Feb 2022
Academic Editors: Yi-Lin Cao, Wen-Guo Cui Copy Editor: Yue-Yue Zhang Production Editor: Yue-Yue Zhang

Abstract
Auricular defects resulting from excision of cutaneous malignancies pose a challenge to the reconstructive surgeon
due to the complex anatomy, convexities, and concavities of the ear. A surgeon must be familiar with analyzing
defects of the ear and understand the variety of reconstructive options available with the goals of restoring
function, re-establishing anatomic units, and achieving aesthetic balance. This review summarizes current methods
for reconstruction of partial auricular defects resulting from neoplasm. A brief overview of ear anatomy and
aesthetic relationships is also provided. Techniques for the reconstruction are classified by anatomic region: upper-
third, middle-third, and lower-third defects.

Keywords: Auricular reconstruction, facial skin cancer, cutaneous malignancy, Mohs reconstructive surgery, facial
plastics, reconstructive surgery, skin cancer of the ear

INTRODUCTION
Approximately 5% to 8% of all skin cancers are located on the external ear, while the helical rim is the most

© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing,
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