When is the best time to treat pediatric external ear deformities

Patient's question:

Congenital bilateral external ear auricle malformation

Doctor's answer:

The best time for surgery is between the ages of six and seven, ideally before starting school. At this age, the child's ear cartilage has grown to about 70% of an adult's size, and the reconstructed ear after surgery will be very similar to the normal ear. After starting school, the child will not be teased by classmates due to the ear deformity.
Currently, the surgical method is mostly a two-stage procedure. The first stage involves placing an expandable skin expander behind the ear. This requires weekly injections of saline for about two months, followed by maintaining the expander for more than one month to stabilize the expanded skin flap. The second stage is the ear cartilage implantation. There are two types of ear implants: autologous rib cartilage and Medpor. The autologous rib cartilage implant has better biocompatibility, but it leaves a scar on the chest where the cartilage was harvested.