A new dog ear correction technique

When moving a local flap, a dog ear sometimes appears at the base of the flap. If we try to correct the dog ear primarily, the blood supply to the flap may be disturbed. In such a case, the dog ear is prone to be corrected secondarily. In the present report we show a new technique for correcting a dog ear that enables correction to be done primarily and sufficiently. The principle of the technique is to de-epithelialise the dog ear portion and dig it in to the dermis to preserve the subdermal plexus at the base of the flap intact. This method is useful especially at the base of a transposition flap because the pedicle tends to be narrowed by the conventional correction. (C) 2007 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.