Microtia: Treatment Options for Patients

Microtia is a congenital malady which affects the appearance of one or both ears, wherein a baby is born without a fully developed external portion. This occurs in various degrees of severity, such as some having a partial lobe while other have just a tiny protrusion. This is a fairly rare genetic occurrence in which ethnic backgrounds seem to play a part. Asian and Hispanic babies have Microtia more often than white or black infants. In the United States, one out of every 7,500 babies born have this malady. More boys than girls are affected. Usually, it is only one side rather than both. Here are some things to think about:

- Different grades of severity: There are four different grades of severity including grades 1, 2, 3 and 4. The first is the least severe. The ear canal is present and size is usually the only irregularity. In the second type, a smaller hearing appendage is present and hearing loss may or may not occur. In the third sort, only a small external portion is present and the ear drum and canal may be nonexistent. Hearing is definitely affected in this level as well as the next one. Grade 4 is the most severe and is also called "anotia," which translates to "no ear."

- Reconstruction: There are various methods to reconstruct a substitute ear. Methods include using a graft of rib cartilage, a wrap-around technique, a juxtaposition technique and a spoke method. All of these take several hospital stays with time in between the operations for healing.

- Hearing: As mentioned above, some Microtia sufferers have no problem with their hearing, while others do. It depends on the severity and which components are missing. If it's simply the external portions affected, the ability to hear should remain intact. If the eardrum or canal is missing, the patient will likely have have trouble hearing.

- Causes: Medical researchers aren't sure what causes this birth defect, but it seems to be hereditary. If a child is born with it, there's a good chance that someone else in the family had it as well. Some believe that the flaw may have occurred due to the pregnant mother's exposure to toxins, medications or environmental irregularities.

- Ages for surgery: The ears of a child reach maturity at a young age. In fact, these sensory organs are 90% fully grown by a child's fifth birthday. Doctors and psychologists are in agreement that reconstruction should take place before a child enters school. Many preschoolers are unaware that there is a problem with theirs until they hit the schoolyard and the taunting begins. Being teased can be devastating to a child's self esteem and it's for this reason that early surgical intervention is important.

When Microtia does occur, parents want to do the best that they can for their child in order to give their offspring the best chances for a happy life. Remedying this birth defect early in a child's life will be the best decision for his or her well-being. Prosthetics are available, but these don't offer the permanent cure that reconstructions allow.