The visor ear flap: a new method for reconstruction of upper helical defects

Helical defects in the upper pole of the ear have been traditionally reconstructed by a variety of techniques. However, some of these techniques decrease the length of the ear while others produce a bulky helix. This paper describes a new technique in which a visor flap is raised from the medial aspect of the ear to form the soft tissue cover of the helical rim. A rotation flap is subsequently raised to cover the donor defect of the visor flap and a conchal cartilage graft taken from underneath the rotation flap is used to construct the helical cartilage. This method has the advantage of being a single-staged procedure, avoids reduction in the length of the ear and provides acceptable cosmetic result. The visor ear flap should be a valuable tool in the armamentarium of reconstructive procedures for upper helical defects.