With many facial birth defects that we treat at the Little Baby Face Foundation, timing is so important. There are some urgent cases where treatment cannot wait, like Colby or Analeigha who both had a hemangioma on their eye that threatened their vision. In the majority of cases, however, the child needs a chance to grow a bit before surgery. This is particularly true for microtia (a small ear) or anotia (an absent ear).
With many facial birth defects that we treat at the Little Baby Face Foundation, timing is so important. There are some urgent cases where treatment cannot wait, like Colby or Analeigha who both had a hemangioma on their eye that threatened their vision. In the majority of cases, however, the child needs a chance to grow a bit before surgery. This is particularly true for microtia (a small ear) or anotia (an absent ear).
When it comes to deciding when is the ideal age to undergo ear reconstruction and/or hearing restoration surgery, there are a few factors that come into play, so we thought it’d be most helpful to give you a behind-the-scenes look at one of our newest members to the Little Baby Face Foundation, Achilles. At 8 years of age, Achilles is functioning quite well despite his microtia. He can hear relatively well, and he has not been impacted at school. Achilles and his parents recently visited Dr. Romo at the Little Baby Face Foundation to begin to consider their options.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
Currently, there are two options for ear reconstruction, a polyethylene implant or an ear that is carved from the child’s rib cartilage.
The issue with polyethylene implants is that they do not have the longevity to last a lifetime. Plastic is subject to wear and tear, and therefore, it is more of a 20-year solution. For an 8 year old like Achilles, that is less than ideal. We’re hoping he makes it to 100, and we want his ear to come along for the ride!
The other option is to remove cartilage from his rib cage and sculpt the framework of an ear from it. This will look and feel like a real ear and will last a lifetime, but it’s still not a perfect solution for babies and young children. For babies, the structure is simply too small to consider, and ear reconstruction would definitely need to wait. However, a bone-anchored hearing aid is recommended as soon as possible as hearing is vital to speech development.
For young children, there is another risk in using rib cartilage to form an ear. At 8 years old, his rib cage is quite small, which means that if we were to remove the necessary rib cartilage today, he’d be missing a part of his ribcage that covers his lungs and heart. The back of the ribcage is bone, so the cartilage must be removed from the front center rib. Families will need to decide whether the benefits of surgery at this stage of development outweigh the risks.
This is where timing becomes incredibly important. If we wait until Achilles is 12, his ribcage will be larger, and proportionally, the rib cartilage necessary to fabricate an ear is less of a risk. Since Achilles is not suffering, waiting is probably his best course of action.
Dr. Romo is currently helping to develop a 3D printed ear with a third-party company who is specializing uniquely in ear reconstruction, but he estimates that it will be another few years as an option. In Achilles’s case, the timing may just work out perfectly. He may be able to choose 3D printing if he waits, which will be a much easier process and recovery. Dr. Romo says this 3D printing ear reconstruction has the potential to completely revolutionize ear reconstruction surgery. In theory, a patient would be able to go home the same day! At present, an ear reconstruction surgery is a 3-day hospital stay.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
In cases of atresia, a missing ear canal, the best course of action is a bone-anchored hearing aid, also called a bone bridge. These are incredible devices that are surgically implanted to improve one’s hearing by sending sound vibrations directly from the skull bone to the inner ear.
In the past, atresia was treated by drilling an ear canal, but the problem is that they could close over time, and they were susceptible to developing scar tissue or even infection. The bone-anchored hearing aid is a much better solution.
What Is the Ideal Age for Microtia Surgery?
The answer, of course, is that there is no one right answer. Every child is different, and each condition brings unique challenges. This is not intended to be medical advice, but to give you a general idea of what the options may be at different stages of development.
If your child is born with microtia now, by the time they are big enough to consider ear reconstruction or hearing restoration, the options available may not be the same as they are now. We are betting that 3D printing will be one of the top choices by then. In any case, you will most likely need to wait as the structure of the ear is too small to operate on, and rib cartilage removal is not an option for babies and young children.
However, for children around the age of Achilles, it can depend on the child’s size and discomfort level. As you have seen in Achilles’s case, he’s on the smaller side, and he is functioning well, so there is no rush. But perhaps for a child who has a bigger ribcage and/or is suffering from hearing loss that affects their daily life or learning, the benefits of surgery may make an earlier intervention a strong consideration.
For adolescents, in most cases, surgically removing rib cartilage for ear reconstruction is an option without waiting. We had two recent microtia surgeries for Veronica and Anisa, both age 12. You can check out their stories to get an idea of what the process looked like for them at age 12.
The very best thing you can do as a parent or caregiver is to get the advice of a medical professional as early as possible. Even if it’s too soon to act, you will be able to get an idea of what options will be available to you and come up with a potential plan. It also helps to have a trusted doctor to turn to with any challenges that may arise while you are waiting for treatment.
If you have a child born with microtia or anotia, you can apply for treatment at the Little Baby Face Foundation online here.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
Currently, there are two options for ear reconstruction, a polyethylene implant or an ear that is carved from the child’s rib cartilage.
The issue with polyethylene implants is that they do not have the longevity to last a lifetime. Plastic is subject to wear and tear, and therefore, it is more of a 20-year solution. For an 8 year old like Achilles, that is less than ideal. We’re hoping he makes it to 100, and we want his ear to come along for the ride!
The other option is to remove cartilage from his rib cage and sculpt the framework of an ear from it. This will look and feel like a real ear and will last a lifetime, but it’s still not a perfect solution for babies and young children. For babies, the structure is simply too small to consider, and ear reconstruction would definitely need to wait. However, a bone-anchored hearing aid is recommended as soon as possible as hearing is vital to speech development.
This is where timing becomes incredibly important. If we wait until Achilles is 12, his ribcage will be larger, and proportionally, the rib cartilage necessary to fabricate an ear is less of a risk. Since Achilles is not suffering, waiting is probably his best course of action.
Dr. Romo is currently helping to develop a 3D printed ear with a third-party company who is specializing uniquely in ear reconstruction, but he estimates that it will be another few years as an option. In Achilles’s case, the timing may just work out perfectly. He may be able to choose 3D printing if he waits, which will be a much easier process and recovery. Dr. Romo says this 3D printing ear reconstruction has the potential to completely revolutionize ear reconstruction surgery. In theory, a patient would be able to go home the same day! At present, an ear reconstruction surgery is a 3-day hospital stay.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
In cases of atresia, a missing ear canal, the best course of action is a bone-anchored hearing aid, also called a bone bridge. These are incredible devices that are surgically implanted to improve one’s hearing by sending sound vibrations directly from the skull bone to the inner ear.
In the past, atresia was treated by drilling an ear canal, but the problem is that they could close over time, and they were susceptible to developing scar tissue or even infection. The bone-anchored hearing aid is a much better solution.
What Is the Ideal Age for Microtia Surgery?
The answer, of course, is that there is no one right answer. Every child is different, and each condition brings unique challenges. This is not intended to be medical advice, but to give you a general idea of what the options may be at different stages of development.
If your child is born with microtia now, by the time they are big enough to consider ear reconstruction or hearing restoration, the options available may not be the same as they are now. We are betting that 3D printing will be one of the top choices by then. In any case, you will most likely need to wait as the structure of the ear is too small to operate on, and rib cartilage removal is not an option for babies and young children.
However, for children around the age of Achilles, it can depend on the child’s size and discomfort level. As you have seen in Achilles’s case, he’s on the smaller side, and he is functioning well, so there is no rush. But perhaps for a child who has a bigger ribcage and/or is suffering from hearing loss that affects their daily life or learning, the benefits of surgery may make an earlier intervention a strong consideration.
For adolescents, in most cases, surgically removing rib cartilage for ear reconstruction is an option without waiting. We had two recent microtia surgeries for Veronica and Anisa, both age 12. You can check out their stories to get an idea of what the process looked like for them at age 12.
The very best thing you can do as a parent or caregiver is to get the advice of a medical professional as early as possible. Even if it’s too soon to act, you will be able to get an idea of what options will be available to you and come up with a potential plan. It also helps to have a trusted doctor to turn to with any challenges that may arise while you are waiting for treatment.
If you have a child born with microtia or anotia, you can apply for treatment at the Little Baby Face Foundation online here.
When it comes to deciding when is the ideal age to undergo ear reconstruction and/or hearing restoration surgery, there are a few factors that come into play, so we thought it’d be most helpful to give you a behind-the-scenes look at one of our newest members to the Little Baby Face Foundation, Achilles. At 8 years of age, Achilles is functioning quite well despite his microtia. He can hear relatively well, and he has not been impacted at school. Achilles and his parents recently visited Dr. Romo at the Little Baby Face Foundation to begin to consider their options.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
Currently, there are two options for ear reconstruction, a polyethylene implant or an ear that is carved from the child’s rib cartilage.
The issue with polyethylene implants is that they do not have the longevity to last a lifetime. Plastic is subject to wear and tear, and therefore, it is more of a 20-year solution. For an 8 year old like Achilles, that is less than ideal. We’re hoping he makes it to 100, and we want his ear to come along for the ride!
The other option is to remove cartilage from his rib cage and sculpt the framework of an ear from it. This will look and feel like a real ear and will last a lifetime, but it’s still not a perfect solution for babies and young children. For babies, the structure is simply too small to consider, and ear reconstruction would definitely need to wait. However, a bone-anchored hearing aid is recommended as soon as possible as hearing is vital to speech development.
For young children, there is another risk in using rib cartilage to form an ear. At 8 years old, his rib cage is quite small, which means that if we were to remove the necessary rib cartilage today, he’d be missing a part of his ribcage that covers his lungs and heart. The back of the ribcage is bone, so the cartilage must be removed from the front center rib. Families will need to decide whether the benefits of surgery at this stage of development outweigh the risks.
This is where timing becomes incredibly important. If we wait until Achilles is 12, his ribcage will be larger, and proportionally, the rib cartilage necessary to fabricate an ear is less of a risk. Since Achilles is not suffering, waiting is probably his best course of action.
Dr. Romo is currently helping to develop a 3D printed ear with a third-party company who is specializing uniquely in ear reconstruction, but he estimates that it will be another few years as an option. In Achilles’s case, the timing may just work out perfectly. He may be able to choose 3D printing if he waits, which will be a much easier process and recovery. Dr. Romo says this 3D printing ear reconstruction has the potential to completely revolutionize ear reconstruction surgery. In theory, a patient would be able to go home the same day! At present, an ear reconstruction surgery is a 3-day hospital stay.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
In cases of atresia, a missing ear canal, the best course of action is a bone-anchored hearing aid, also called a bone bridge. These are incredible devices that are surgically implanted to improve one’s hearing by sending sound vibrations directly from the skull bone to the inner ear.
In the past, atresia was treated by drilling an ear canal, but the problem is that they could close over time, and they were susceptible to developing scar tissue or even infection. The bone-anchored hearing aid is a much better solution.
What Is the Ideal Age for Microtia Surgery?
The answer, of course, is that there is no one right answer. Every child is different, and each condition brings unique challenges. This is not intended to be medical advice, but to give you a general idea of what the options may be at different stages of development.
If your child is born with microtia now, by the time they are big enough to consider ear reconstruction or hearing restoration, the options available may not be the same as they are now. We are betting that 3D printing will be one of the top choices by then. In any case, you will most likely need to wait as the structure of the ear is too small to operate on, and rib cartilage removal is not an option for babies and young children.
However, for children around the age of Achilles, it can depend on the child’s size and discomfort level. As you have seen in Achilles’s case, he’s on the smaller side, and he is functioning well, so there is no rush. But perhaps for a child who has a bigger ribcage and/or is suffering from hearing loss that affects their daily life or learning, the benefits of surgery may make an earlier intervention a strong consideration.
For adolescents, in most cases, surgically removing rib cartilage for ear reconstruction is an option without waiting. We had two recent microtia surgeries for Veronica and Anisa, both age 12. You can check out their stories to get an idea of what the process looked like for them at age 12.
The very best thing you can do as a parent or caregiver is to get the advice of a medical professional as early as possible. Even if it’s too soon to act, you will be able to get an idea of what options will be available to you and come up with a potential plan. It also helps to have a trusted doctor to turn to with any challenges that may arise while you are waiting for treatment.
If you have a child born with microtia or anotia, you can apply for treatment at the Little Baby Face Foundation online here.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
Currently, there are two options for ear reconstruction, a polyethylene implant or an ear that is carved from the child’s rib cartilage.
The issue with polyethylene implants is that they do not have the longevity to last a lifetime. Plastic is subject to wear and tear, and therefore, it is more of a 20-year solution. For an 8 year old like Achilles, that is less than ideal. We’re hoping he makes it to 100, and we want his ear to come along for the ride!
The other option is to remove cartilage from his rib cage and sculpt the framework of an ear from it. This will look and feel like a real ear and will last a lifetime, but it’s still not a perfect solution for babies and young children. For babies, the structure is simply too small to consider, and ear reconstruction would definitely need to wait. However, a bone-anchored hearing aid is recommended as soon as possible as hearing is vital to speech development.
This is where timing becomes incredibly important. If we wait until Achilles is 12, his ribcage will be larger, and proportionally, the rib cartilage necessary to fabricate an ear is less of a risk. Since Achilles is not suffering, waiting is probably his best course of action.
Dr. Romo is currently helping to develop a 3D printed ear with a third-party company who is specializing uniquely in ear reconstruction, but he estimates that it will be another few years as an option. In Achilles’s case, the timing may just work out perfectly. He may be able to choose 3D printing if he waits, which will be a much easier process and recovery. Dr. Romo says this 3D printing ear reconstruction has the potential to completely revolutionize ear reconstruction surgery. In theory, a patient would be able to go home the same day! At present, an ear reconstruction surgery is a 3-day hospital stay.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
In cases of atresia, a missing ear canal, the best course of action is a bone-anchored hearing aid, also called a bone bridge. These are incredible devices that are surgically implanted to improve one’s hearing by sending sound vibrations directly from the skull bone to the inner ear.
In the past, atresia was treated by drilling an ear canal, but the problem is that they could close over time, and they were susceptible to developing scar tissue or even infection. The bone-anchored hearing aid is a much better solution.
What Is the Ideal Age for Microtia Surgery?
The answer, of course, is that there is no one right answer. Every child is different, and each condition brings unique challenges. This is not intended to be medical advice, but to give you a general idea of what the options may be at different stages of development.
If your child is born with microtia now, by the time they are big enough to consider ear reconstruction or hearing restoration, the options available may not be the same as they are now. We are betting that 3D printing will be one of the top choices by then. In any case, you will most likely need to wait as the structure of the ear is too small to operate on, and rib cartilage removal is not an option for babies and young children.
However, for children around the age of Achilles, it can depend on the child’s size and discomfort level. As you have seen in Achilles’s case, he’s on the smaller side, and he is functioning well, so there is no rush. But perhaps for a child who has a bigger ribcage and/or is suffering from hearing loss that affects their daily life or learning, the benefits of surgery may make an earlier intervention a strong consideration.
For adolescents, in most cases, surgically removing rib cartilage for ear reconstruction is an option without waiting. We had two recent microtia surgeries for Veronica and Anisa, both age 12. You can check out their stories to get an idea of what the process looked like for them at age 12.
The very best thing you can do as a parent or caregiver is to get the advice of a medical professional as early as possible. Even if it’s too soon to act, you will be able to get an idea of what options will be available to you and come up with a potential plan. It also helps to have a trusted doctor to turn to with any challenges that may arise while you are waiting for treatment.
If you have a child born with microtia or anotia, you can apply for treatment at the Little Baby Face Foundation online here.
When it comes to deciding when is the ideal age to undergo ear reconstruction and/or hearing restoration surgery, there are a few factors that come into play, so we thought it’d be most helpful to give you a behind-the-scenes look at one of our newest members to the Little Baby Face Foundation, Achilles. At 8 years of age, Achilles is functioning quite well despite his microtia. He can hear relatively well, and he has not been impacted at school. Achilles and his parents recently visited Dr. Romo at the Little Baby Face Foundation to begin to consider their options.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
Currently, there are two options for ear reconstruction, a polyethylene implant or an ear that is carved from the child’s rib cartilage.
The issue with polyethylene implants is that they do not have the longevity to last a lifetime. Plastic is subject to wear and tear, and therefore, it is more of a 20-year solution. For an 8 year old like Achilles, that is less than ideal. We’re hoping he makes it to 100, and we want his ear to come along for the ride!
The other option is to remove cartilage from his rib cage and sculpt the framework of an ear from it. This will look and feel like a real ear and will last a lifetime, but it’s still not a perfect solution for babies and young children. For babies, the structure is simply too small to consider, and ear reconstruction would definitely need to wait. However, a bone-anchored hearing aid is recommended as soon as possible as hearing is vital to speech development.
For young children, there is another risk in using rib cartilage to form an ear. At 8 years old, his rib cage is quite small, which means that if we were to remove the necessary rib cartilage today, he’d be missing a part of his ribcage that covers his lungs and heart. The back of the ribcage is bone, so the cartilage must be removed from the front center rib. Families will need to decide whether the benefits of surgery at this stage of development outweigh the risks.
This is where timing becomes incredibly important. If we wait until Achilles is 12, his ribcage will be larger, and proportionally, the rib cartilage necessary to fabricate an ear is less of a risk. Since Achilles is not suffering, waiting is probably his best course of action.
Dr. Romo is currently helping to develop a 3D printed ear with a third-party company who is specializing uniquely in ear reconstruction, but he estimates that it will be another few years as an option. In Achilles’s case, the timing may just work out perfectly. He may be able to choose 3D printing if he waits, which will be a much easier process and recovery. Dr. Romo says this 3D printing ear reconstruction has the potential to completely revolutionize ear reconstruction surgery. In theory, a patient would be able to go home the same day! At present, an ear reconstruction surgery is a 3-day hospital stay.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
In cases of atresia, a missing ear canal, the best course of action is a bone-anchored hearing aid, also called a bone bridge. These are incredible devices that are surgically implanted to improve one’s hearing by sending sound vibrations directly from the skull bone to the inner ear.
In the past, atresia was treated by drilling an ear canal, but the problem is that they could close over time, and they were susceptible to developing scar tissue or even infection. The bone-anchored hearing aid is a much better solution.
What Is the Ideal Age for Microtia Surgery?
The answer, of course, is that there is no one right answer. Every child is different, and each condition brings unique challenges. This is not intended to be medical advice, but to give you a general idea of what the options may be at different stages of development.
If your child is born with microtia now, by the time they are big enough to consider ear reconstruction or hearing restoration, the options available may not be the same as they are now. We are betting that 3D printing will be one of the top choices by then. In any case, you will most likely need to wait as the structure of the ear is too small to operate on, and rib cartilage removal is not an option for babies and young children.
However, for children around the age of Achilles, it can depend on the child’s size and discomfort level. As you have seen in Achilles’s case, he’s on the smaller side, and he is functioning well, so there is no rush. But perhaps for a child who has a bigger ribcage and/or is suffering from hearing loss that affects their daily life or learning, the benefits of surgery may make an earlier intervention a strong consideration.
For adolescents, in most cases, surgically removing rib cartilage for ear reconstruction is an option without waiting. We had two recent microtia surgeries for Veronica and Anisa, both age 12. You can check out their stories to get an idea of what the process looked like for them at age 12.
The very best thing you can do as a parent or caregiver is to get the advice of a medical professional as early as possible. Even if it’s too soon to act, you will be able to get an idea of what options will be available to you and come up with a potential plan. It also helps to have a trusted doctor to turn to with any challenges that may arise while you are waiting for treatment.
If you have a child born with microtia or anotia, you can apply for treatment at the Little Baby Face Foundation online here.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
Currently, there are two options for ear reconstruction, a polyethylene implant or an ear that is carved from the child’s rib cartilage.
The issue with polyethylene implants is that they do not have the longevity to last a lifetime. Plastic is subject to wear and tear, and therefore, it is more of a 20-year solution. For an 8 year old like Achilles, that is less than ideal. We’re hoping he makes it to 100, and we want his ear to come along for the ride!
The other option is to remove cartilage from his rib cage and sculpt the framework of an ear from it. This will look and feel like a real ear and will last a lifetime, but it’s still not a perfect solution for babies and young children. For babies, the structure is simply too small to consider, and ear reconstruction would definitely need to wait. However, a bone-anchored hearing aid is recommended as soon as possible as hearing is vital to speech development.
This is where timing becomes incredibly important. If we wait until Achilles is 12, his ribcage will be larger, and proportionally, the rib cartilage necessary to fabricate an ear is less of a risk. Since Achilles is not suffering, waiting is probably his best course of action.
Dr. Romo is currently helping to develop a 3D printed ear with a third-party company who is specializing uniquely in ear reconstruction, but he estimates that it will be another few years as an option. In Achilles’s case, the timing may just work out perfectly. He may be able to choose 3D printing if he waits, which will be a much easier process and recovery. Dr. Romo says this 3D printing ear reconstruction has the potential to completely revolutionize ear reconstruction surgery. In theory, a patient would be able to go home the same day! At present, an ear reconstruction surgery is a 3-day hospital stay.
What Options Are Available for Ear Reconstruction?
In cases of atresia, a missing ear canal, the best course of action is a bone-anchored hearing aid, also called a bone bridge. These are incredible devices that are surgically implanted to improve one’s hearing by sending sound vibrations directly from the skull bone to the inner ear.
In the past, atresia was treated by drilling an ear canal, but the problem is that they could close over time, and they were susceptible to developing scar tissue or even infection. The bone-anchored hearing aid is a much better solution.
What Is the Ideal Age for Microtia Surgery?
The answer, of course, is that there is no one right answer. Every child is different, and each condition brings unique challenges. This is not intended to be medical advice, but to give you a general idea of what the options may be at different stages of development.
If your child is born with microtia now, by the time they are big enough to consider ear reconstruction or hearing restoration, the options available may not be the same as they are now. We are betting that 3D printing will be one of the top choices by then. In any case, you will most likely need to wait as the structure of the ear is too small to operate on, and rib cartilage removal is not an option for babies and young children.
However, for children around the age of Achilles, it can depend on the child’s size and discomfort level. As you have seen in Achilles’s case, he’s on the smaller side, and he is functioning well, so there is no rush. But perhaps for a child who has a bigger ribcage and/or is suffering from hearing loss that affects their daily life or learning, the benefits of surgery may make an earlier intervention a strong consideration.
For adolescents, in most cases, surgically removing rib cartilage for ear reconstruction is an option without waiting. We had two recent microtia surgeries for Veronica and Anisa, both age 12. You can check out their stories to get an idea of what the process looked like for them at age 12.
The very best thing you can do as a parent or caregiver is to get the advice of a medical professional as early as possible. Even if it’s too soon to act, you will be able to get an idea of what options will be available to you and come up with a potential plan. It also helps to have a trusted doctor to turn to with any challenges that may arise while you are waiting for treatment.
If you have a child born with microtia or anotia, you can apply for treatment at the Little Baby Face Foundation online here.
If your child was born with Microtia and you’re looking for help, please contact us using the form below.
If your child was born with Microtia and you’re looking for help, please contact us using the form below.