In a unique procedure, a renowned Chinese plastic surgeon at Xi’an Jiaotong University has grown an artificial ear on a man’s arm and transplant it successfully. The man underwent a complex hour long procedure. He lost his ear in 2015 in an accident which also left him with serious injuries to the right side of his face. He earlier underwent several operations to restore his cheeks and facial skin, but doctors were unable to restore his ear.
The accident not only took his ear but also destroyed most of the blood vessels and skin around the ear. Therefore, conventional artificial ears cannot work for him. It was decided to grow a new ear on his arm in advance. To restore his ear hearing, a surgeon first stretched the patient’s skin on his arm with the use of a skin expander before cartilage from his ribs, which was cut into the shape of an ear, and placing it under the skin flap in his…
