If your child was born with microtia, you’re likely to have a few questions. How will the condition affect my child’s hearing? What will his treatment be like? Will she ever have “normal” ears? Fortunately, the team at Boston Children’s Microtia Program is available to answer all your questions and support your family throughout the treatment process.
Microtia is a relatively rare birth defect that causes small, misshapen or missing structures of the ear. It can occur on one or both sides of the head. Most children with microtia experience only partial hearing loss, since their inner ears are usually unaffected. The greatest challenge in treating microtia is reconstructing the malformed or missing ear(s), often done to improve physical appearance, facilitate the use of eyewear, increase self-esteem and enhance quality of life. This requires specialized care from a multidisciplinary team of plastic surgeons, audiologists (hearing specialists), otolaryngologists (also known as “ear, nose and throat doctors”), and other experts.
The staff at Boston Children’s Microtia Program consists of all these specialists, each with a unique role in providing care for our patients and their families. And because Boston Children’s is the only hospital in Massachusetts focused solely on pediatrics, our entire team is specially trained to make treatment as easy as possible for young patients and their families.
