Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41858427›Full record

ReviewJPRAS open2026

Otoplasty for prominent ear: A systematic review of surgical techniques.

Hamish Thomson, Jack Gosden, Anirban Mandal

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in JPRAS open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Hamish ThomsonSchool of Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Jack GosdenSchool of Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Anirban MandalThe Mersey Regional Burns and Plastic Surgery Unit, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Knowsley, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Prominent ear is a common auricular malformation that can have long-term psychosocial consequences on affected individuals. Otoplasty remains the standard surgical corrective treatment; however, the optimal technique has long been debated, with >200 methods described in the literature. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, aimed to evaluate the available evidence on the most effective otoplasty approach. The outcomes assessed across different techniques (exclusive suture, exclusive cartilage-scoring, incisionless, suture + flap, suture + cartilage-scoring, and cartilage-scoring + flap hybrids) included: a) number of patients suffering a complication, b) recurrence, c) reoperation, d) infection, e) keloid or hypertrophic scar formation, and f) haematoma. A search of PubMed and MEDLINE identified 412 papers. Following PICOT framework-guided screening, application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, and quality assessment, 22 studies were included: 19 retrospective and three prospective cohort studies. Current medical literature suggests that suture + cartilage-scoring and cartilage-scoring + flap hybrid methods, may be associated with lower rates of recurrence, and reoperation when compared to single-technique or suture + flap approaches. However, high-quality, long-term randomised control trials are required to determine the superior technique for otoplasty.

Indexed as

ComparisonOtoplastyProminent earSuperiorTechnique

Identifiers

PMID41858427
PMCPMC12996986

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.