The pinna can be effaced by a trauma or a resection due to a disease.

Traumatic effaced of the pinna

A traumatic effacement can be a full one in which the whole pinna is missing, or a partial effacement in which only a part is missing.

Similar to pinna reconstruction because of microtia, in many of such cases the pinna can be restored from the cartilage of the ribs.

Such reconstructive surgery can also be performed for a partial effacement of the pinna, with a highly aesthetic outcome.

Pinna effacement because of a resection due to illness

Sometimes it is necessary to remove the pinna due to a disease such as cancer.

Each case should be examined on its own merit, and the ability of the location to support the new implant must be carefully examined.

Sometimes there is a serious deficiency in blood supply to the designated location due to severe scarring and / or supplemental radiation therapy for cancer.

In such cases a more complicated surgery is required in which the new pinna cartilage, carefully shaped under the skin of a different body part, is grafted.

In a later stage, an additional surgery is performed and the new pinna is transferred to the designated location by microvascular surgery during which the blood vessels are joined to the blood vessels of the neck.