[Prospective assessment of quality of life after auricular reconstruction with porous polyethylene].

Background: Microtia is associated with increased psychosocial morbidity. The literature contains three purely retrospective studies using validated tools. These studies show that auricular reconstruction leads to a significant improvement in health-related quality of life in affected children and adults.
Methods: In a prospective approach, the authors assessed 21 consecutive microtia patients (return rate 81 %; 7 children and 10 adults) before and after auricular reconstruction with porous polyethylene using the following validated questionnaires: Glasgow Health Status Inventory (GHSI), Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36), Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ) and Kidscreen-52.
Results: An improved health-related quality of life was detected with all applied instruments.
Conclusion: A subjective benefit of auricular reconstruction with porous polyethylene can be shown using prospective, as well retrospective tools.