At the age of 6, the auricle has basically developed to the size of an adult. After 14, the subcutaneous tissue behind the ear began to thicken and the elasticity of the ear cartilage became worse. Therefore, 6 ~ 14 years old is the best operative age for congenital microtia.
Professor Qingguo Zhang, director of the Ear Plastic Surgery Center of the Plastic Surgery Hospital of China Academy of Medical Sciences, said that modern plastic surgery technology can create lifelike ears, and ear reconstruction is usually completed in three stages.
The first stage is skin prefabrication. The expansion capsule made of silica gel is buried under the skin of the ear reconstruction site. A week later, normal saline was injected into the expansion sac to expand the local skin. Generally, skin expansion is completed after two months.
The second operation is to create real ears. The key of operation is the choice of ear bracket. At present, we choose our own costal cartilage, carve the same ear cartilage bracket as the contralateral healthy ear, and then implant it under the expanded skin to complete the ear reconstruction. High-density polyethylene artificial ear bracket can also be implanted under the expanded skin to complete ear reconstruction. The shape of the ears made of these two materials is very realistic.
The third stage operation is relatively simple. Surgery is usually done half a year after the second operation, mainly to rebuild the tragus before the ear. For hearing reconstruction surgery, it is generally believed that the hearing of patients with unilateral microtia is normal on one side, and they can make normal sounds even without surgery, with good adaptability. Therefore, it is generally believed that it is necessary for patients with bilateral microtia to undergo hearing reconstruction surgery.
Link: In order to welcome the National Ear Love Day on March 3, the hospital held a free clinic and a popular science lecture for patients with no ears or small ears that morning. It will also launch the "Aier" public welfare medical assistance action to collect patients with no ears or small ears for the whole country. Parents can register 6-year-old patients who have neither ears nor small ears. The telephone number is (010) 51261987. The hospital will screen out three patients from poor families who have no ears or small ears for free ear reconstruction and plastic surgery.