Introduction - Start here for Atresia Repair Options and Treatments

At CEI, we count it an honor and a privilege when you choose our facility for the treatment of your child or family member. We intend to remain available to you throughout the process. It is our goal to give you personalized, world’s best service and outcomes for this rare congenital deformity, which can also lead to disability if not treated in the correct way at the proper age.

As you will learn from this site, treatment plans are unique to each patient and may involve several interventions over a number of years – frequently from more than one medical provider. Again and again, I see families travel great distances to get the information and choices defined . . . In some situations, the information received is incorrect – likely because this is such a rare condition, and most MDs rarely see it. For this reason, I have brought together a team of the medical community’s finest experts to cover all aspects of care as a complete resource for you in one location. Consultations either in person in California or by phone or Skype are available, as are several conferences around the world for parents and patients. I strongly suggest you take the time to watch a video of one of my presentations before a consultation to give you an overview and understanding of the subjects we will discuss.

After the education available to you on this site, you will understand more fully our philosophy in these areas:

• Hearing loss (single sided and two sided!) produces functional impairment in real life, every day situations
• Hearing loss (single sided and two sided) in childhood can result in less than maximal language and brain development that can limit a child’s potential
• Almost all patients with Atresia Microtia have a normally functioning hearing nerve; sound is blocked from reaching it by the lack of an ear canal and eardrum
• If a functioning hearing nerve is present we can deliver sound to it – it is more a question of “how” than “if” we can achieve hearing!
• Our goal is to present all options to achieve hearing and help you make the choice of how to proceed
  it is our belief that hearing impairment is the most significant deficit present in Atresia Microtia and all patients should work toward restoration of hearing
• Microtia reconstruction is an important aspect of care from a social, psychological and functional component and all types of hearing restoration are coupled with all techniques of cosmetic repair of the outer ear – rib graft, medpor, and prosthetic reconstruction
• For those of you who would like more details on the effects of hearing impairment on development, we suggest carefully reading our Single Sided Hearing Loss in Children and the Importance of Two Hearing Ears section and a more detailed book I have written on the subject of childhood hearing loss Hear for Life: Dr. Joe’s Guide to Your Child’s Hearing Loss. Click here to purchase the book
• For more information on treatment of Congenital Aural Atresia and Microtia, read ATRESIA MICROTIA & YOUR CHILD book online here.

Excerpt from the Introduction of the Hear For Life book:

You need to know that what you face is serious, because hearing impairment can have a severe impact on the life of the child who has it. You also need to understand that hearing impairment is treatable—beginning at birth. My purpose here is to give you, in a concentrated resource, the complete picture of how to get there. You will understand the tools and resources available for your use. I want you to have a glimpse of the end from the beginning.

For a Complimentary Evaluation by Dr Joe Roberson and Staff

The following items are needed for an initial evaluation by Dr. Roberson and team. Consultation in person, at one of our worldwide conferences, or via phone or Skype is available if desired after our original evaluation.

• Hearing Test
• Photo’s / Images:
  • of any affected ear from the side approximately 3 feet away
  • of the patient from the front at face level with the ear showing
  • of the patient from the front at face level with full smile
• CT Scan

Mailing Address:

Attention: Atresia Evaluation
1900 University Avenue, Suite 101
East Portola Valley, CA 94303

Email: atresiarepair@calear.com

(CT scans are too large to email and need to be sent on a CD to the below address. Note file sharing of CT information is less than adequate as the software we use to reconstruct views for evaluation requires the file format directly from CD)

Phone: 650-494-1000