Clinical Outcomes of the U-Linear Split Thickness Skin Graft Technique for Reconstruction for Ear Canal Stenosis

TL;DR

A new skin graft technique called U-Linear STSG was found to reduce post-surgery narrowing in ear canal reconstructions compared to traditional methods.

Contribution

The U-Linear split-thickness skin graft technique is introduced as a novel approach for canaloplasty with lower restenosis rates.

Findings

The U-Linear STSG group had significantly less postoperative restenosis compared to the local flap group.

No serious complications were observed in either the U-Linear STSG or local flap groups.

The U-Linear STSG technique is simple and feasible for ear canal stenosis reconstruction.

Abstract

Canaloplasty is challenging because of the high rate of postoperative restenosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of using a U-Linear split-thickness skin graft (U-Linear STSG), a novel modified graft placement technique for canaloplasty.

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on patients who underwent canaloplasty between January 2013 and December 2023. The medical records of external auditory canal stenosis patients who underwent canaloplasty were reviewed. The data collected included patient demographics, surgical approaches, postoperative outcomes, and audiometric findings. The outcomes of reconstruction for ear canal stenosis using a U-Linear STSG were compared with those using a reconstructed local flap. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests for categorical data and independent t tests for continuous data.

Thirty-six patients with external auditory canal stenosis underwent reconstruction; 17 patients underwent reconstruction with a U-Linear STSG, and 19 patients underwent reconstruction with a local flap. A review of the clinical outcomes revealed that postoperative restenosis was significantly less common in the U-Linear STSG group than in the local flap group (p < 0.05). In terms of audiometry, the postoperative air‒bone gap in the U-STSG group was slightly greater than that in the local group. No serious complications were observed in either group.

A U-Linear STSG can be simply and feasibly applied in reconstruction for ear canal stenosis, with no major complications.

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