What to Expect from Microtia Ear Surgery

Microtia is a birth defect characterized by a deformity of the external ear. It sometimes includes the middle and inner ear, and in many cases, causes hearing loss. If you suspect your child is affected, consult a surgeon with special expertise in microtia ear surgery. This malformation of the ear can usually be corrected surgery, but as it is a technically difficult procedure, it is necessary to be well-informed about what to expect.

What to Expect from This Challenging Plastic Surgery Procedure

Microtia reconstruction is a challenging form of surgery and involves harvesting rib cartilage and using it to craft an earlobe to replace the deformed or missing one. The condition is graded based on its severity. In Grade I, the entire ear is much smaller than normal; in Grade II, some features such as the outer rim are absent; in Grade III, there would be some skin and cartilage, the lobe would be deformed and the external ear canal and external ear tissue would be missing; in Grade IV, the entire pinna is absent.

The surgery is usually performed when the child is 6-7 years old. A CT scan is first performed to understand the condition. Hospital stay is necessary for ear reconstruction surgery, which involves the following stages:

• The rib cartilage graft is implanted and the auricular framework is created with the graft
• A z-shaped incision is made on the skin covering the newly crafted structure and the lobule is shaped
• The auricle or ear is raised
• The external ear canal is created

The blood is drained off using small suction drains, which also help the skin flaps to settle in with the grafts. The surgeon will remove these drains within a week. The ear surgery takes approximately 5 hours. Healing time between the various stages of microtia repaircould take two to three months. Once the surgery has healed completely, the surgeon can drill an opening to the internal ear canal to enable hearing. In some cases, hearing aids that amplify sound directly to the bone are used.

Choose the Right Surgeon

Only a specialized surgeon can perform this delicate plastic surgery. In fact, it is very important that you choose the right surgeon as there are numerous issues could arise if microtia surgery is not properly handled. These include donor site problems, destruction of skin flap tissues, infections, collection of blood outside the blood vessels, fluid formation, and unaesthetic results. So do your research well and consult a board-certified plastic surgeon experienced in microtia ear surgery. Make sure that the surgical center is AAAASF-accredited. It is also necessary that you have realistic expectations about the results. Your child should be made to understand about the surgery and follow post-operative instructions to avoid trauma. Microtia ear surgery is expensive, but there are surgeons who offer services for children regardless of financial resources.