Microtia refers to a congenital condition in which the outer ear is deformed or underdeveloped. If the internal structures of the ear are affected, surgery can help correct the condition and restore hearing.
Microtia refers to a congenital condition in which the outer ear, called the pinna, is deformed or underdeveloped. Microtia can affect one or both ears and occurs in one of about 6,000 births. There is no definitive cause for the condition.
Children born with microtia often have a normal inner ear, but testing needs to be done to determine the extent of their hearing. If the internal structures of the ear are affected, surgery can help correct the condition and restore hearing. In addition, hearing aids and bone conducting implants may also help. Even when the ear’s internal structures are not affected, surgery can correct the deformity by creating a normal outer ear. Perhaps the most notable case of microtia is KISS guitarist Paul Stanley, who underwent surgery as an adult to correct the deformity and restore his hearing. In his case, the ear deformity caused self-esteem issues so serious that he sought psychiatric counseling as an adolescent.
The important message is that medical intervention and technology can help children born with microtia to develop normal speech and language development. In every case, a hearing evaluation is a must to ensure that children have as normal a level of hearing as possible.