- Aural Atresia
- Microtia
Some children are born with varying degrees of outer ear malformations. ENT for Children will likely recommend treatment for children who suffer from hearing problems due to microtia or aural atresia. ENT for Children will screen your child to determine the degree of the hearing and speech impairment.
Aural Atresia (Absent or Narrow Ear Canal)
Some children are born with an underdeveloped or absent ear canal. The condition is known as aural atresia. If your child has aural atresia they typically have a moderate to severe degree of conductive hearing loss as the sound cannot reach the middle ear. However, typically your child will have normal nerve hearing. This means that if sound can reach your child’s inner ear they should be able to hear sound at a normal level.
In general, the treatment options for your child can be divided into amplification (hearing aids) or reconstruction of the ear canal. Your ENT for Children physician will at some point recommend a CT scan of your child’s ear. Findings on your child’s CT scan will help to direct the treatment options you may want to consider for your child. Treatment options may include a bone conduction hearing aid, BAHA implant, Sophono implant or atresiaplasty (reconstruction of the ear canal).
Children with hearing loss in one or both ears are at risk for delays in their speech and language development. You should expect that your child may need speech therapy as part of their treatment plan.
Microtia
Children who suffer from microtia are born with small, deformed or absent outer ears. Often children with the more severe forms of microtia also have aural atresia. Microtia treatment may involve reconstruction of the ear with rib cartilage or the use of a prosthetic ear. Your ENT for Children physician may recommend consultation with a Craniofacial Plastic Surgeon to learn more about the option of rib cartilage reconstruction or consultation with an Anaplastologist to learn more about a prosthetic ear. Your ENT for Children physician will work with the Craniofacial Plastic Surgeon to address any associated aural atresia and hearing concerns. Your ENT for Children physician works with your child’s Anaplastologist to implant the VistaFixTM device that will allow their prosthetic ear to be secured.