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PRACTICE: Andrew J Lindford, Shehan Hettiaratchy, and Fabrizio Schonauer Postpartum splinting of ear deformities BMJ 2007; 334: 366-368 [Full text]

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Post-partum splinting - DIY concerns

David T Gault, The Portland Hospital, London W1W 5AH   (26 February 2007)

Simple alternative to splintage of prominent ears

Kayvan Shokrollahi   (4 May 2008)

Post-partum splinting - DIY concerns 26 February 2007
David T Gault, Consultant Plastic Surgeon London Centre for Ear Reconstruction, The Portland Hospital, London W1W 5AH Send response to journal: Re: Post-partum splinting - DIY concerns	Lesson of the week on postpartum splinting of ear deformities is timely. Figures recently released by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons suggests that splintage is already having some effect, with a fall in the number of pinnaplasties in 2006 for the first time since records began, bucking the trend in most other types of cosmetic procedure. Many prominent ears are acquired deformities – the combination of a short neck and kinking forwards by the mattress, by clothing and when breast feeding may contribute. Late development of prominence requires a longer period of splintage, and we soon abandoned the use of splints formed from wire within transparent tubes because of the incidence of skin problems. Of greater concern, however, is heating of a wire core through transparent material in certain situations, in strong sunlight or in incubators for example, which can cause skin damage and potentially disastrous damage to delicate cartilage. The use of a formed opaque silicone bonded to a wire core has proved safe in almost 20,000 ears (Ear BuddiesTM). Competing interests: Shareholder and Director Ear Buddies Ltd
Simple alternative to splintage of prominent ears 4 May 2008
Kayvan Shokrollahi, Specialist registrar, Burns and Plastic Surgery Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery Send response to journal: Re: Simple alternative to splintage of prominent ears	There is no doubt that awareness regarding splintage of the ear in infancy needs to be increased. However, external splints can be a fiddle and can be expensive, and there are issues with "home-made" devices. A simple drop of skin glue to affix the helix of the ear to the mastoid area has been shown to be safe and effective in recreating the antihelix and correcting the prominent ear - so-called 30-second Otoplasty [1]. [1] Scrimshaw G. The 30-second otoplasty. Ann Plast Surg 1983; 10:86–87 Competing interests: None declared