Microtia is a deformity that a small portion of the population is born with. It is a serious defect that involves the ear, but it can often be remedied with surgery.
Having a child is a wonderful experience, but when your child is born with a deformity, it can feel bittersweet. When the deformity is microtia, it can appear frightening. Thankfully, the deformity is operable.Microtia is a deformity usually involving only one ear, but in a very small percentage of cases it can involve both ears. When it affects only one ear, it is more likely the right ear. The deformity is also more common in boys as well as in Asian and Hispanic populations.
There are 4 grades of microtia that depend on the severity of the case. The first grade is the most normal in appearance, and it moves down the grade to stage 4 where the child actually does not have an ear.
The thought of having your child go through surgery may be frightening, but the doctors should be able to prepare you for what you need to know. As a parent with a child who has microtia, it is important for you to know how this deformity can affect your child and how having surgery to correct the disfigurement will positively affect them. The best period of time to have this surgery would be around age 5 since there are a few parts to the surgery, and there needs to be time between each portion.
There are a couple of options for what type of procedure can be done to correct the ear disfigurement. The best seems to be one that uses the patients rib cartilage. This is thought to be the best method because it utilizes part of the patients own body, and therefore the immune system is less likely to reject it. There is also less chance of infection when using the rib cartilage form of reconstruction.
If you decide to have your childs ear disfigurement fixed while your child is still young, then you will likely prevent many problems down the road. If you wait until your child is older, then you will most likely notice a great difference in your childs confidence in comparison to the period before their surgery. Some may even start doing better in school.
If you or your child was born with microtia and you are trying to decide whether it is worth it to have corrective surgery, do not think twice about it. If you have had the problem your whole life, you may feel like you can continue to endure the embarrassment. Imagine though, what you would feel like if you did decide to have the surgery. Your confidence would definitely increase, and that confidence may be all that you need to move up in your job or improve your social life. If you are looking into this issue for your child, think seriously about having the surgery done. Not having it done will affect them throughout their lives. If money is an issue, you should check with your insurance company as well as financing with the plastic surgeon you choose.
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