Narender Manickavachakan, Naren Shetty, Vijay Thomas Mathyoo Joseph
BACKGROUND The skill required to fashion a 3-dimensional ear framework out of costal cartilages, that simulates a normal ear and lasts a lifetime, is indeed tremendous. How to decide from where is it best to harvest the different component parts of the framework, given that the anatomy is variable and, especially when the surgeon has limited experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS Could this daunting task be simplified by creating an exact 3-dimensional replica of the costal cartilages well before the actual surgery, and then planning at leisure how to go about this? We describe an innovative approach of obtaining 3-D images of the costal cartilages and then using a 3-D printer to obtain a close simulation of the actual costal cartilages. RESULTS The 3-D models were of significant help in the planning and execution of the case. CONCLUSION This innovative approach holds promise, and may prove to be beneficial to younger plastic surgeons, embarking on the journey of ear reconstruction.
