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Correspondence and communication| Volume 65, ISSUE 10, P1433-1434, October 2012

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Pixie ear deformity following rhytidectomy: ‘Prevention is better than cure’

      Pixie ear  deformity is an unsightly though thankfully uncommon complication following rhytidectomy procedures. This deformity is characterised by migration of the earlobe inferiorly and anteriorly and the appearance of being ‘stuck on’ or ‘tethered’ as wound healing progresses. It is thought to result from lobule inset under tension, usually related to excessive resection of the rhytidectomy skin flap. A number of corrective procedures have been described including the excision of a medially based triangular excision pattern
      • Mowlavi A.
      • Meldrum D.G.
      • Wilhelmi B.J.
      • et al.
      The “pixie” ear deformity following face lift surgery revisited.
      as well as excision of tethered skin and healing by secondary intention.
      • Zide B.
      Correction of the pixie ear deformity.
      McKinney et al.
      • McKinney P.
      • Giese S.
      • Placik O.
      Management of the ear in rhytidectomy.
      advocated placement of the lobule more cephalad and dorsal in order to prevent this deformity postoperatively.
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      References

        • Mowlavi A.
        • Meldrum D.G.
        • Wilhelmi B.J.
        • et al.
        The “pixie” ear deformity following face lift surgery revisited.
        Plast Reconstr Surg. 2005; 115: 1165-1171
        • Zide B.
        Correction of the pixie ear deformity.
        (The Cutting Edge Aesthetic Surgery Symposium) The Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York2011
        • McKinney P.
        • Giese S.
        • Placik O.
        Management of the ear in rhytidectomy.
        Plast Reconstr Surg. 1993; 92: 858-866