[Complications and failures of otoplasty].

Hematoma and infection are particularly serious true complications of otoplasty because of the fragile nature of the cartilage. Perichondritis and chondritis are happily extremely rare sequelae as they may provoke veritable disasters. In contrast, imperfect results due to poor evaluation of protrusion factors or an unadapted technique are encountered less rarely. Schematically they can be divided into anomalies of the external ear in relation to the skull and morphological alterations. The former include overcorrections, or more usually insufficient corrections which may be uni or bilateral, global, or sectorial, particularly affecting the lobe. Among the latter are found poor reconstructions of the anthelix, which constitutes one of the most important elevations on the external ear, but also of the concha or helix. Corrective treatment consists mainly of procedures that were omitted or poorly performed during initial operations. Repeat surgery is always a delicate procedure, and the comments in this report should contribute to avoiding its necessity in the majority of cases.