Comparison of surgical techniques for prominent ear correction: Mustardé versus Converse

Introduction: prominent ears, popularly called “flappy ears,” represent the most common congenital deformity of the external ear, affecting approximately 5% of the population. Methods: Primary, prospective and intervention study comparing the results of patients undergoing the surgical procedure to correct prominent ears using the Converse and the Mustardé techniques, performed at the Plastic Surgery Service of the Hospital das Clínicas, Federal University of Pernambuco (HC) -UFPE). Results: Twenty patients were evaluated, 10 with the Converse technique, and 10 with the Mustardé technique, from June 2016 to December 2017. Both groups showed a decrease in auricular mastoid distances at the end of the observation period, ranging from 6.67 to 14.6 mm, depending on the surgical technique and the evaluation point, but without statistical significance. Regarding the average auricular mastoid distances at the end of the observation period, a difference of a maximum of 6.3 mm was observed between the evaluated groups, but without statistical significance. Regarding the symmetry of the ears within the same group, the maximum mean level of asymmetry in the Mustardé and Converse groups was 0.9 mm and 0.5 mm, respectively. However, the percentage of loss of correction of the measures obtained surgically during the observation period in both groups ranged between 15 and 19%, without statistical significance. Regarding complications, there was 1 (10%) case of hematoma in the Mustardé group. Conclusion: Converse and Mustardé techniques did not show statistical differences in the results. ■ ABSTRACT