Preoperative Flap Surgery Simulation for a Case of Cryptotia Using a 3D Printer

Cryptotia is a congenital auricular deformity. Common methods of surgical reconstruction involve creating an auricular temporal groove using local flaps and/or a skin graft. However, it can be difficult to determine which method is most suited to the unique 3-dimensional (3D) structure of each cryptotic ear. Here, we showed that creating 3D ear models of a cryptotic ear with a 3D camera and printer and using these models to simulate surgery with two different flap methods (cat’s-ear and square) allowed selection of a reconstruction method that led to good outcomes after the actual surgery. The patient was a 7-year-old girl with left cryptotia. A 3D camera was used to acquire 3D data for the ear. After structural analysis, a home 3D printer was used to print the data into 3D ear models using an elastic material. These models exhibited good plasticity. After subjecting the models to simulated cat’s-ear and square flap surgeries, the cat’s-ear flap method was considered to better reproduce the healthy side of the ear compared with the square flap method for this particular case. Ear morphology during and after the actual surgery closely resembled the model-ear morphology during and after the simulated cat’s-ear flap surgery. We successfully created a full-scale 3D model with good plasticity using a 3D camera and 3D printer. This allowed easy, noninvasive preoperative evaluation and identification of the most suitable operation for the specific case, facilitating easier, more successful surgery.