Approximately 1 in 4,000 babies in Southeast Asia are born with 1 or two missing/barely developed ears in a congenital condition called microtia. This condition is often associated with atresia which is a non-development of the ear canal. The middle and inner ears are usually present, but the sound cannot reach those structures and so the child cannot hear in the affected side. Thus, patients with microtia and atresia suffer from both the stigma of deformity and the disability of deafness. If both sides are affected this is particularly disabling. In addition, the volume of motorbikes in Vietnam and the lack of full-face helmets leads to frequent ear avulsion injuries. These require reconstruction. Vietnam has been making significant strides in treating microtia. For instance, the British Foundation for International Reconstructive Surgery and Training (BFIRST) has been collaborating with local teams in Hanoi to develop advanced ear reconstruction techniques. These efforts have resulted in a strong ear reconstruction service that uses single-stage surgery and minimizes scarring. Additionally, there are ongoing efforts to improve hearing restoration for patients with microtia and atresia. Specialists are working on implementing surgical implant techniques to address congenital deafness.

Answer:   Microtia   usually does not affect child’s growth and their motor skills. Most children with microtia do have hearing loss in the affected ear because often there is   to transmit sound waves to the inner ear. This is called aural atresia. Children with microtia and atresia affecting one ear will have problems locating the direction of sound and have trouble hearing a conversation in noisy environments. The most common condition in which microtia is seen is Hemifacial Microsomia, in which  . The degree of hemifacial microsomia varies from barely perceptible to very noticeable. As children develop, some may not mind their microtia but most of the others often have guilt and inferiority complex.

Answer: The ear consists of three main areas: outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. The outer ear acts as the receiver for sound waves to travel through the outer ear canal and cause vibrations in the eardrum. The eardrum and the three small bones of the middle ear amplify the vibrations as they travel to the inner ear. There, the vibrations travel through the fluid in the cochlear structure in the inner ear (cochlea). Attached to nerve cells in the cochlea are thousands of tiny hairs that help convert sound vibrations into electrical signals that are transmitted to the brain. The brain turns these signals into sound signals. Small ear defects (ear defects) are not only deformed outer ear rings, but also often come with no ear canal and no eardrum (Atresia) resulting in loss or loss of hearing (inability to hear sounds) in defective ear. After your baby is born or when you adopt a baby, your baby usually hasn't had a newborn hearing screening. Once your baby has not had newborn hearing screening, you need to take your baby to an ear, nose and throat doctor and an audiologist for a hearing test to find out how much hearing loss your baby has. Hearing loss is if both ears are hearing loss (hearing loss). With the help of your ENT doctor and audiologist, you will be informed of options that best help your baby. Before the coronary imaging surgery, the patient may be asked to have an audiometric test, with a CT scan to check the middle ear. Based on the examination results and the specific situation, the doctor may recommend the use of hearing aids or surgery to create an external ear canal to increase hearing and hearing for the baby. That is why Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha, expert on ear shaping, also works closely with leading ENT specialists and audiologists to not only reconstruct the ear for children early from 3 4 years old but also counseling on hearing function treatment so that the children can integrate best in life.

It is always important for you and family and friends to be there and offer positive support to your child in dealing with the reactions of others, and this also helps your child in dealing with his or her own inner thoughts and feelings about their difference. Rehearsing some responses with your child in a casual matter-of-fact way will help prepare them for the inevitable situations they will encounter at school or at play. For instance your child could say, “My   is called  but it doesn’t change how I play or anything. I’ll decide later if I want to let doctors try to change the shape, but for now its fine”. Microtia is just a small aspect of your wonderful child. Raise your child as you would any other without overdoing attention or focus on this one aspect. This will help them cope with microtia and avoid self-esteem and confidence issues so they can grow up and engage.

Answer: The most common condition in which  is seen is Hemifacial Microsomia, in which half the face does not grow in proportion to the other. The degree of hemifacial microsomia varies from barely perceptible to very noticeable. Treacher Collins Syndrome involves both ears and also affects the eyes which appear to have a downward slant or “pulled down appearance.” The cheek bones are small and the eyelids and jaw are affected. Goldenhar Syndrome may involves one or both ears and is characterized by incomplete development of ear, nose, soft palate, lip, and jaw. That is also the reason why at the Center for Plastic Aesthetic Surgery where Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Hong Ha works, there are always a full range of specialists in plastic aesthetic surgery, facial surgery, dentists. , ear, nose, throat, eye, psychology worked together in   multidisciplinary clinics. At these consultation sessions, leading experts will discuss and choose the best surgical option for the pediatric patients. Usually, a pediatric patient with birth defects without ears and combined cranial defects will be centrally monitored from baby to adulthood to be able to repair and complete as much as possible lesions at the right time for the baby.

The most common complications associated with ear reconstructive surgery are: To understand why complications can occur it should be seen that ear reconstruction is a very complex process as shown below. According to the traditional method of using autologous rib cartilage, the surgical process consists of many stages. The first stage is to remove a few pieces of cartilage from the ribs on the chest, sculpture them to become the frame of the ear and then implant it under the scalp in site of the defective ear. Then, it takes many operations to lift the ear frame off the scalp, create the grooves behind the ears, cover the cartilage frame, skin graft on the scale and adjust other details of the ears. With many such operations, the risk of complications is possible. According to the Medpor method, using porous polyethylene ear frame with artificial synthetic tissue to shape ears, although the advantage is that it only undergoes one surgery but requires delicate dissecting techniques to remove the temporal flatform the layer under the scalp to cover the plastic frame and skin grafting should be taken from the patient own thigh or abdomen. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha, who has successfully performed many ear-defected or microtia reconstructions at the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital, said: When performing difficult techniques, if the surgeon is not experienced, not only this will result in poorly reconstructive ears, which may also increase the risk of complications.