How painful is microtia surgery?
The surgery mostly involves skin and soft tissues. It does not involve muscle or bone and thus, the pain is relatively minimal.
What is microtia reconstruction?
In the first stage, the child’s own rib cartilage is carved and sewn to create a reconstructed auricle that is placed under the skin on the side of the child’s head. In the second stage, the child’s ear lobe, which is usually too high and too far forward, is moved to a more natural-looking location.
What type of hearing loss is associated with microtia?
Microtia is a congenital ear deformity in which the external ear is malformed and underdeveloped. In more severe cases, it is usually associated with the absence of an ear canal, known as aural atresia. These patients suffer from severe conductive hearing loss in the affected ears.
Is microtia surgery covered by insurance?
Microtia treatment is typically covered by insurance. The MEDPOR or OMNIPORE technique requires a single outpatient procedure. Therefore, it will typically cost less than rib cartilage reconstruction, which requires a series of surgeries.
What year is the best time to do ear reconstruction in microtia patient?
In bilateral cases of microtia/atresia, reconstruction should be staggered, with the first ear repaired at approximately 6 years of age.
Can you hear after microtia surgery?
With grade 2 microtia, you can have normal hearing, but most of those patients have a conductive hearing loss where the bone conduction is normal, but air conduction is not.
Is microtia a genetic disorder?
Microtia is a genetic condition affecting the external ears and presents clinically along a wide spectrum: minimally affected ears are small with minor shape abnormalities; extremely affected ears lack all identifiable structures, with the most extreme being absence of the entire external ear.
Can people with microtia still hear?
Unilateral microtia.
In unilateral cases, children generally retain full hearing in the unaffected ear, while still retaining some hearing on the affected side. Even if the ear canal is closed, sound can be absorbed into the still-functioning inner ear.
Does microtia affect speech?
Microtia is unilateral in most patients, with a right-sided and male predominance. Children with bilateral hearing loss are known to be at increased risk of speech and language delays as well as poor performance in school.
Can microtia be corrected?
Microtia is a condition in which a child is born with an ear or ears deformed or absent. Reconstructive surgery can restore the child’s appearance and hearing. A leader in pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgery, Children’s National Hospital has a world-class team experienced in the treatment of microtia.
How long does microtia surgery take?
Real cartilage is used to reconstruct the ear (no medpor / plastic is used) There is minimal pain (only Motrin and Tylenol are needed) – children can go to school in 2 days. The outpatient procedure lasts less than 2 hours (minimal anesthesia exposure)
Are you deaf if you have microtia?
What problems are associated with microtia? Hearing loss. Beyond the apparent visual deformity of the ear, children with microtia often experience some hearing loss due to the closure or absence of the external ear canal. This hearing loss can affect how the child’s speech will develop.
How common is microtia?
How common is microtia? Doctors diagnose microtia in roughly 1 to 5 out of 10,000 births. The condition occurs more often in boys than girls. It affects the right ear more often than the left.