Microtia: Ear Surgery and Self-Esteem

For any parent raising a child with microtia, the implications can be heartbreaking. Ear surgery is a possible fix in these circumstances, but a parent must be cognizant of what this condition can do to their child’s self-esteem.

For any parent raising a child with microtia, the implications can be

heartbreaking, even with new breakthroughs in the realm of ear surgery.

Hitting approximately one child in every 10,000, the disorder causes the

ears to be underdeveloped. In some cases, it can create a situation

where there is no outer ear at all. When you think back to when you were

a child and take what you know about the brutal teasing that other kids

can inflict, you know life is not going to be easy for your son or

daughter. Thankfully, you have options.



In many cases, microtia can be treated with a procedure which aims to

correct or reconstruct the ear through plastic surgery. This procedure

could take a number of different forms, but one of the most common

treatments involves taking cartilage from the rib cage and using it to

construct the outer portion of the ears. Doctors differ as to the

appropriate age a child should be before having such an operation,

though 10 years old is not an uncommon answer. Any younger and the

procedure may have to be repeated, as the ears have not finished

growing.



Not all cases of microtia are accompanied by hearing loss, but many are.

In the case of full or partial deafness, you will have options open to

you and your child. These options could take the form of hearing aids,

whether they be outer assistance or cochlear implants. There may also

need to be a certain degree of special training not only to help your

child cope with his or her disability but to help you learn to

communicate and teach your child. This could involve learning sign

language and using special aids that are designed to assist the deaf.



Of course, any parent with a child suffering from disabilities will be

naturally concerned with how they will be treated at school and around

kids their age, even with the option of ear surgery treatment. It would

be nice to live in a world where kids who are different did not have to

worry about being bullied and teased, but this simply isn’t the case.

You’ll need to keep an open line of communication with your child about

such teasing and try to prepare them for it. Do all you can to build

your child’s self-esteem so that it can withstand any such attacks. If

possible, you may wish to speak to your child’s classmates about their

condition and gently explain that they are otherwise no different from

any of them. Counselors and psychologists can help you through a

difficult time such as this and offer you the best advice for your

situation.