The ear is an important member of our five senses. Medically, the perfect ear has a delicate convex and concave structure and is symmetrical in size and position. Ear deformities and defects give us cosmetic defects, accompanied by auditory dysfunction and more or less psychological disorders. Therefore, deformities and defects of the ear are an unacceptable thing. Standard ears Ear shape In fact, severe deformities and defects of the ear can be treated by ear reconstruction surgery. External ear reconstruction surgery is one of the most complicated surgeries in plastic surgery. To shape a fake lifelike ear, you need to integrate aesthetics, sculpture, anatomy, and refined plastic surgery, which can be seen as a very high requirement for plastic surgeons. Ear reconstruction of the adaptable population 1, small ear deformity small ear deformity is congenital dysplasia of the auricle, often accompanied by atresia of the external auditory canal, middle ear deformity and maxillofacial deformity, the need to carry out part or all of the reconstructive surgery of the auricle. 2.Traumatic auricular defect The auricle is located on both sides of the skull, due to cuts, crushing injuries, lacerations, burns, bites, infections, surgical resection and other reasons for the auricle partially or completely defective deformity, seriously affecting the appearance and life, the need for auricular reconstructive surgery. 3.Severe cup-shaped ear Cup-shaped ear is a kind of congenital deformity between windshield ear and microtia syndrome. In severe cup-shaped ear, the auricle is rolled up and almost becomes tubular. Because of its severe tissue loss, partial ear reconstruction is required. How are ears created? The reconstructed ear needs to have an inner scaffold and an outer skin. 1, the stent material 1, their own rib cartilage Advantages: generally recognized as the best ear reconstruction stent material, cartilage stent is not easy to infected exposed, reconstructed ear can be with the growth of the development of a certain degree of growth. Disadvantages: It is not suitable for those who are old and have other diseases and cannot cut the rib cartilage. Artificial material Advantages: good shape, avoid taking rib cartilage, suitable for elderly patients whose rib cartilage has become hard and brittle and those who have other diseases and cannot take rib cartilage. Disadvantages: hardness, easy to be infected and exposed after surgery. Second, the skin outside of the stent needs to be solved by skin expander and skin grafting. The expander is like a water bladder, which is put under the skin behind the ear and gradually pumps water into it to make the bladder bigger and at the same time expands the skin to meet the needs of the reconstructed ear. This process takes about 2 months or so, one month of which you need to live near the hospital and visit the hospital frequently to get water, and the rest of the time you can go home to recuperate. Parents need to organize their time wisely. When is the best time to have the surgery? It is usually best to operate around the age of 6. At this time the child’s ear size has developed to 90-95% of the adult size and the size of the ear will not change much after that. The size and softness of the child’s rib cartilage is suitable for sculpting the ear support. If the surgery is done too early, the rib cartilage will be small and not strong enough, and the ear support will be easily deformed. In addition, most children start to realize their ear defects at the age of 5-6 years old. Surgery at the age of 6 years old can not only get good cooperation from the child, but also can compensate for the ear defects when the child is just aware of them, which can minimize the psychological impact of ear deformity on the child. Are the ears the same as normal? The ear will not look exactly the same as a normal ear, but it will look like a normal ear when you look at it on a daily basis. The ear made with autologous tissue (your own skin and cartilage) has a feeling. When the ear is first made, it is sometimes a little sensitive and painful when touched slightly. After about 3 months, it feels similar to your own ears. However, for those who have asymmetry on both sides of the face, the development of one side of the small ear is poor, and the face is skewed, so it is difficult to make the ears completely consistent. Children with symmetrical faces have an easier time making symmetrical ears. Although the ears are made with rib cartilage, the ears made are still on the hard side and cannot be folded like the natural ones. In addition, the surgery will leave some marks behind the ears that can be seen when shaving. Do I need an external ear canal to enhance my hearing? Patients with unilateral microtia whose hearing is basically normal and does not affect their life and study may not undergo outer ear canal and middle ear surgery, but only auricular reconstruction. Patients with unilateral microtia and bilateral microtia with atresia are recommended to undergo auricular reconstruction first, followed by hearing reconstruction surgery. In ancient times, it was believed that good ears meant that a person was smart and wealthy. Everyone has different ears, some have small ears, some have large ears, and there are different ear shapes. If you are unfortunate enough to suffer from a deformed or missing ear, instead of complaining about your defects and denying your life, you can choose to seek professional help from a plastic surgeon at a proper medical facility.