This 68 year old man was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the left external auditory miatus. The temporal bone resection resulted in loss of the left ear. Following the resection, the patient was treated with therapeutic radiation.
The surgery and radiation therapy precluded any form of autogenous reconstruction. Craniofacial oseointegrated implants were used to retain an auricular prosthesis. As the patient had been therapeutically irradiated, hyperbaric treatment was undertaken. Twenty dives prior to implant placement and ten dives after implant placement were administered. The hyperbaric treatment consisted of 90 minutes at 2.5 atmospheres absolute once a day.
A bar superstructure was connected to the percutaneous titanium abutments. A clip system within the ear prosthesis allowed the prosthesis to be retained on to the bar superstructure.
A close-up view of the auricular prosthesis retained on the craniofacial osseointegrated implants.