Atresia Repair followed by Medpor reconstruction
Atresia Repair with Medpor reconstruction - CAM
Rib Graft followed by Atresia Repair
Atresia without microtia or partial/stenotic canal repair
Atresia Repair following Medpor reconstruction- (Not recommended)
Surgery is an option, and in certain situations necessary, for treatment of atresia in these situations:
The timing of atresia repair canalplasty is influenced by the absence or presence of microtia and in cases where microtia is present, the desired route of auricular reconstruction. In this section, surgery to create a functioning ear canal is detailed and demonstrated with both drawings and corresponding video from actual operations. Canal reconstruction can occur in the following orders:
In this section, surgery to create a functioning ear canal is detailed and demonstrated with both drawings and corresponding video from actual operations.
First, bone is sculpted away to form a bony channel very similar – if not identical – to how the ear canal should have formed had it developed normally. By removing the bone with high-speed precision diamond drills, the surgeon exposes the middle ear bones. An eardrum is created to capture the sound, vibrating the middle ear bones, transmitting the sound to the functioning inner ear and subsequently transmitting a nerve signal to the brain as a normally hearing ear would. The newly created ear canal and eardrum is covered with skin to reconstruct normal. Minor variations of surgery are tailored depending on status of the outer ear reconstruction, whether the canal is performed before medpor microtia reconstruction, in conjunction with medpor reconstruction, or following rib graft reconstruction.
More info regarding advanced skin graft technique for lining the newly created ear canal (PDF)
When a canal is partially formed, the canal is enlarged utilizing many of the same processes as mentioned above. A normal eardrum is needed for optimal hearing results. With partial canals, a partial eardrum may or may not be present. If it has not formed, the eardrum is created and in cases where it has only partially formed, the eardrum is enlarged. Skin grafting may be utilized in a partially formed ear canal as well.
After Microtia Repair
A CT and an audiogram are necessary to conduct the atresia repair assessment.
Overview for All Atresia Repairs
Differences between outer ear reconstruction techniques
Rib Graft repair, atresia repair comes AFTER outer ear reconstruction
Medpor, atresia repair comes BEFORE outer ear reconstructionInitial incision and canal placement looks different depending on whether microtic ear has been repaired