Many of us take our ears for granted. Numerous children are born with microtia ear, in need of surgery. Consider a recent article for WBNS 10 TV titled “Children’s Hospital Marathon Patient Champions: Roman Cumpston.”
Jerry Revish of WBNS 10 TV writes, “Every mile of this year’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon will have a special story to tell. Two dozen children who’ve overcome great health challenges thanks to care received at children’s hospital will have their triumphs recognized. One of the stories will be that of the Lego crazed 7-year-old, Roman Cumpston, whose vivid imagination and boundless energy is a joy for his parents. Roman was born with a hearing disorder called Microtia, a condition that left him without a fully formed ear on one side of his head. This condition happens in about one of every 10 thousand births. ‘There’s no ear canal present, no ear drum, the hearing bones are usually present but malformed, but there’s no way for sound to get from the outside world to the inner ear,.’ Dr. Ed Dodson of Nationwide Children’s Hospital said. A tiny titanium implant goes inside the scalp and what’s called an abutment is screwed through the skin. Roman is still able to do everything any other kid his age can do. His mom tapes his tae kwan do class and Doctor Dodson says his hearing aid can adapt to any situation.”
Auckland Now also takes a look at microtia ear in a recent article titled “Parents fundraising to get their toddler an ear.” Shabnam Dastgheib of Auckland Now writes, “Two-year-old Cruze Elrick wants two ‘big ears’ – the same as his little brother Ashton and his other friends have. Instead, Cruze has what he calls a ‘baby ear’ on one side because of a congenital deformity called grade 3 microtia. His parents are trying to raise the $100,000 needed for specialised surgery in the United States to create a new ear for him for when he grows up. Microtia basically means Cruze’s external ear is under-developed. Cruze also has a condition called atresia which means he was born without an ear canal. Up to 20 children are born with microtia in New Zealand every year. A bone conduction hearing aid on the outside of Cruze’s head transmits sound to his deaf side through vibrations on his skull. He has to wear it at all times except when he is sleeping. If he gets an ear infection in his good ear, he becomes completely deaf.”
If you are considering microtia ear surgery for your child, you need a surgeon you can trust. Rex E. Moulton Barrett, M.D. is internationally known and acknowledged. He is board certified with The American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and The American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Following microtia ear surgery with Dr. Moulton-Barrett, patients will go home the same day as the procedure, with antibiotics. Pain medications will be provided. We place an ear dressing for three days and remove the sutures approximately 10 days after surgery. We restrict contact sports for about 3 to 4 weeks and you can begin washing the hair after a few days from the surgery, but make sure to keep the ear dry. The sutures will be removed a couple of months later.
For more information, contact us for a consultation.