Microtia Treatment Through Surgical Repair

When a parent first hears that their child was born with deformed ears it can be heartbreaking. A person starts wondering what if anything they could have done differently during their pregnancy to prevent this condition, or whether there was some genetic predisposition that they did not know about. Well, there is no reason to feel bad for oneself or to lament the situation of the baby because there are vast range of microtia treatment options available to parents and their children. It can cause distress, of course, to deal with this problem, but there are solutions for everything from mild to the most severe type of deformity. These surgical options can help a great deal and improve the appearance immensely. The first thing to be aware of is that nothing you did caused this. Doctors are not entirely sure what the source of this problem is but there are a variety of theories. The issues is not discovering what has happened to cause this problem, but rather what can be done to remedy it now that it is present. Not all babies present with the same level of deformity. In fact microtia treatment is available for everything from the most mild all the way to the most severe, which is the complete absence of one or more ears at birth. Regardless of what level of problem you are dealing with there are procedures in place to fix them. The first level means that the child simply has disproportionately small tissue. This can cause problems later in life because in comparison to the rest of the head they look too small. The next level involves portions that did not develop. Perhaps the outer pinna is not entirely present or malformed. The next level involves only a partial development of the entire lobe. Usually, a flap of skin is present but there is a lack of cartilage to give it structure. Finally the most severe cases involve complete absence of external structures. Microtia treatment usually involves the use of some sort of reconstructive surgery to recreate the naturals form and shape of the ear. Modern advancements have made it possible for solutions to be extremely realistic to the point of creating structures that look almost entirely normal. Usually, because of the growth and development a person has throughout their life, the procedures are done in stages. Most doctors agree, however, that the best results are achieved from starting as early as possible. Typically a surgeon will use tissue and cartilage from the rib cage to create an artificial ear. This will slowly form into a natural and organic part of the head and will be least likely to face rejection. In other instances Microtia treatment will involve the use of plastic prostheses to form the skin around and to create the look of a natural ear. This is far faster of a procedure. Microtia treatment offers a child the opportunity to look and feel like other children. It is best to speak with a reconstructive surgeon who is experienced in dealing with these matters, as they will have the skill and expertise to create a solution that is realistic and functional.