Medico-Legal Evaluation of Keloid Formation Following Prominent Ear Correction: Malpractice or Complication

Abstract

Prominent ears (=prominauris=) are anatomical auricular deformities that are seen in 5% of the population, are autosomal dominant in the white population, and have psychological negative effects, especially on young girls and boys in their social environments. Various surgical intervention methods have been defined and applied for the treatment of prominent ears. After these surgical interventions, some undesirable results may occur, one of which is hypertrophic scarring and keloid formation. In the case of the 42-year-old female presented in this article, a lawsuit was filed against the physician and the hospital alleging medical malpractice after excessive keloid formation following prominent ear correction. The case was evaluated in medical and medico-legal aspects, and it was decided that the undesirable outcome was a complication, contrary to the usual legal decisions in Turkey. As a result, it was thought that the establishment of a specific insurance system for the patient before surgical interventions will not only protect the patient in the event of an undesired outcome, but also reduce unfounded malpractice claims. © 2024 Romanian Society of Legal Medicine.