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Ear Reconstruction Surgery |
One in seven thousand babies are born with visually impaired ears known as microtia. The reconstructive surgery of the external ear is done when the child is between six to eight ears of age, when his cartilage has matured and his ear is almost fully developed. The cartilage from the ribs is used to reconstruct an ear, which is then placed under the skin and sutured. Ear reconstructive surgery is one of the most difficult and the most precise kind of procedure. The doctor has also to be a cosmetic surgeon, as finally both the ears have to match and be symmetrical. This surgery may be done in stages. It is done under general anesthesia. The patient will have to be in the hospital till the donor area is healed and the surgically operated ear is all right. Sometimes hearing is also impaired in microtia. If one ear has normal hearing and the other has an obvious physical defect, only the defect need by cured, because the surgery to restore hearing is a complicated. Normally hearing is not impaired in microtia. Or there may be normal hearing in one ear and residual hearing in another. The eardrum or tympanic membrane may get ruptured due to some foreign body, accident, infection or even flying when the patient has a cold. The eardrum perforation generally heals on its own or by administering antibiotics, and other medicines. If it doesn’t, then surgery has to be done. It can be done on an outpatient basis and only local anesthesia need be used. Instigating the eardrum to repair itself by scratching the underside with a bent hook generally cures. Or else using laser or sutures to cover the perforation is also done. The bones of the inner ear are very delicate and they are responsible for our hearing. If they are affected there is loss of hearing. The surgery for curing this fault is done under total anesthesia. It is a delicate microsurgery. Sometimes one may have to reach this area of operation by cutting through the ear from the outside. Sometimes a child may be born with long hanging ears. Cutting and suturing them carefully so that a scar does not remain forever can also reconstruct these. Elongated earlobes happen if heavy earrings are used or by accident or if someone pulls them. They too can be sutured under local anesthesia and the patient can return home after a few hours. In this case external applications of antibiotic cream and painkillers may solve the problem. |
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