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Complete microtia with
congenital aural
atresia reconstruction |
If the CT scan showed that the child has the necessary internal ear structures, an additional stage of reconstruction may be performed to create an ear canal, ear drum, and to improve the hearing. This is called congenital aural atresia reconstruction or atresiaplasty.
For the cosmetic issue of the missing ear there are several other options that can be performed at different ages.
- The simplest option is to place a prosthetic ear on the child with glue. There is no risk but the ear attachment is not very secure and the ear can frequently fall off and cause more embarrassment.
- The second option is performed at least five years of age, and involves the placement of two small implanted bone anchors that allow a more secure attachment of a prosthetic ear. These are relatively small surgeries but the ear is still somewhat vulnerable to being knocked off during sports, etc.
- One other option is surgical placement of a Medpor® polypropylene synthetic ear in staged surgeries. This has the advantage of no rib graft harvest but the artificial ear may be more subject to infection or coming out.
