Background: Reconstruction of auricular defects after Mohs surgery is challenging given the prominence of the ear and its complex 3-dimensional architecture.
Objective: Evaluation of postoperative pain, healing time, and postoperative complications of auricular defects after split-thickness skin graft (STSG) placement versus secondary intent healing (SIH).
Materials and Methods: During this prospective, observational study, 30 patients recorded their daily maximum postoperative pain using the numeric pain rating scale from postoperative days 0 to 8. Surgical site healing was assessed at postoperative day 8 and 30. All postoperative complications were collected during the 30-day follow-up window.
Results: Patients undergoing STSG experienced significantly more pain during the first 3 postoperative days than patients in the SIH group. Maximum pain was experienced on the night of surgery, with a mean pain score of 3.6 in the STSG groups versus 0.8 in the SIH group. Healing was significantly faster in the STSG group, with 87% of patients fully healed at 1 week versus 21% in the SIH group. No major complications were experienced in either group.
Conclusion: Split-thickness skin graft and SIH healing are well tolerated and provide excellent repair choices for auricular defects.
(Copyright © 2023 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)