Microtia is the condition wherein newly born children have very little ears or absent ears. This birth defect among babies is fairly common and usually affects just one ear. There are four types of microtia, Type 1 being the mildest form where the external ears are present but small in size, while Type 4 is the most severe where the external ear is totally absent. This birth defect has no known causes although some have reported that it is related to the genes and a medicine that the mother has taken during pregnancy. Since microtia rarely affects the inner ear, it is not really something that will cause developmental problems but not correcting the defect would lead to lower self-esteem and self-consciousness of the child as he or she grows up and feel they are different from other children. Microtia NYC is a medical procedure that provides corrective treatments for microtia in babies as young as four years old, and even reconstructive surgery for adults who have damaged ears. The clinic is run by a specialist on reconstructive surgery who has developed a revolutionary way of correcting deformed earlobes that will not involve invasive surgery.
What is Microtia NYC?
Microtia NYC is a medical procedure that specializes in the treatment of Microtia in the New York City area. The clinic providing it is headed and owned by a renowned physician who has been able to develop an implementation that will correct the deformed ears of a newborn baby. The clinic specializes in the treatment and correction of deformed outer ears of newborns and children and even adults who had trauma or cancer that damaged their earlobes. The clinic has become a popular choice for parents who are concerned with the ear deformity of their infant child and since the procedure is non-invasive, parents are assured that their young infants would not be subjected to any anesthesia or medication that might be detrimental to their child for those who have mild microtia. For those who have severe microtia, the clinic also does corrective surgeries which are called Real-Ear Reconstructive Surgery. In this case, the doctor uses cadaveric cartilage and forms it into an ear, and then attaches it to the patient’s ear, it is a short two-hour procedure and many have successfully been given a new ear using this procedure. The clinic has even given treatment to patients from other states and countries as this treatment is only available in this clinic.
How Does Microtia NYC Reconstruct Deformed Ears?
There are mild and severe microtia and the treatment for each would be different and it will depend on the condition of the patient and the extent of the deformity. For those who have mild microtia, the clinic Microtia NYC will use the ear molding technique where a special molding implement will be attached to the ear of the newborn in as early as four days, the implement will stay in the ears of the patient for a few weeks or months depending on the progress of the molding, the implement has a perforated cover which makes it possible for the baby to hear. After the initial wearing of the molding, the doctor will check if the ear has indeed molded into the shape of the implement. This procedure was developed by the owner of the clinic and is available only to his patients. If the microtia is severe wherein the outer ears are really absent or nonexistent, the treatment for this is called Real-Ear Reconstructive Surgery. The procedure will involve the sculpting of an ear made from cadaveric cartilage from the Musculoskeletal Tissue Foundation which is safe to use and has fewer chances of rejection. The sculpted ear is then attached to the patient’s ear through reconstructive surgery that lasts as short as two hours. However, this is only done when the child is at least 4 years old as their body is more able to endure the procedure than if they were still babies. This procedure is also appropriate for adults who have lost their ears through injuries or cancer, in the past, adults were not viable candidates for reconstructive ear surgery as their ear cartilage has calcified and no longer pliable. The procedure is done in the clinic and the patient can go home right after the procedure; children can even go back to school after two days. Although contact sport is not allowed for at least six months. The same goes for the adult patients.
What To Do If You Are Going To Have The Real-Ear Procedure in Microtia NYC?
If your child has severe microtia, then contacting Microtia NYC for an initial consultation is the first step towards achieving wellness. In this initial consultation, the doctor will physically examine your child and taking note of the overall health of the child as well as any other illness or physical condition. The doctor will also order some laboratory tests and a CT scan of the inner ear and the other ear so he would have a guide in sculpting the new ear. After which the child will be sent home with some preparatory medications for the actual surgery. During the actual surgery, the doctor will attach the sculpted ear to the patients missing ear and general anesthesia will be used at this time, but it is in very small amounts to not further cause damage to the patient. The procedure will last for 2 hours and the patient can go home right after. However, the new ear will become swollen and has to be placed in a cast so that it would not be accidentally moved. There will be a little pain after the surgery and the doctor will only prescribe Tylenol and other over the counter pain medication. After which, you need to come back for the follow-up check-up so that the doctor could check whether the new ear is healing well and if there are any issues with it. If in case there is bleeding or unbearable pain, you need to call the clinic and bring your child immediately. The same procedure is followed for adult patients who need earlobe reconstructive surgery.