RESIDUAL PROBLEMS IN CHEST DONOR SITES AFTER MICROTIA RECONSTRUCTION - A LONG-TERM STUDY

The rib cartilage has been the most popular autogenous tissue for micr otia reconstruction. In this study, 88 chest donor sites were evaluate d in 80 patients examined in the outpatient clinic at least 1 year aft er tissue removal. Microtia reconstruction usually was initiated betwe en the ages of 2 and 3 years (42 percent), at which time an axial half of the sixth rib was harvested along with all of the seventh and eigh th rib cartilages with their attached perichondrium. During this proce dure, there were 19 uneventful pleural perforations (22 percent), and early in the series, 2 patients (2 percent) required a chest tube. Pos toperative atelectasis without evidence of pneumothorax occurred in 7 patients (8 percent). Chest scars were classified by impartial observe rs as excellent (25 percent), good (33 percent), acceptable (28 percen t), and poor (14 percent). Better scars were experienced in the cold-k nife group than in incision by electrocutting. The younger pro group a nd the longer postoperative interval group showed group better chest s cars. Chest topography deformities were rated as normal (75 percent), mild retrusion (19 percent), and severe retrusion (6 percent). Costal margin contours improved as the postoperative interval lengthened.