#Aural atresia download#

The interesting thing about this classification system is that it establishes a score of 1 to 10 based on different factors (Jahrsdoerfer, 1992). These high-resolution CT scans have changed the way that atresia is modified and repaired, as they can look into the ear, and decide, based upon those findings, what they think their chances are of a good repair and good hearing at the end. This is usually based on the findings of high-resolution CT scans. The other common classification for atresia that has been used since 1992 is by a score system from 1 to 10. Each group has a varying degree of closure or severity, and each one goes farther back into the middle ear. In Groups II and III, there are absent external auditory canals. If you look through the classifications, you will see that Group I has a small external auditory canal. Many surgeons will tell you the atresia is Group I, II, or III (Figure 1). The first classification, Altmann’s classification, dates back to 1955, and it is still widely used. All of these syndromes are associated with the risk of aural atresia.Ītresia also has four different classifications. There are others such as Goldenhar, Crouzon, Mobius, Klippel-Feil, Fanconi, DiGeorge, VATER, CHARGE and Pierre Robin. The most common syndrome that comes to mind is Treacher-Collins. There are also several syndromes associated with atresia.

Males are more affected than females, and interestingly, the right ear is more commonly affected in unilateral cases. Congenital aural atresia occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 to 20,000 live births. You will sometimes hear it called aural atresia, meaning ear atresia. AtresiaĪtresia is the absence or closure of the external auditory canal. Many of these criteria depend on the growth of the child, which is why you see similar age requirements for the various procedures. It is usually the same as the Baha criteria: the guideline from the FDA is about 5 years old. This is the same age requirement for VistaFix. The usual age requirement is between 5 and 8 years of age, primarily because of the growth of the child. They begin reconstruction in children at younger ages. MEDPOR reconstruction uses synthetic material for reconstruction. The Nagata technique usually uses two stages, but this will vary depending on each individual. The Brent technique typically uses three stages (surgeries), and sometimes four. There are two different rib graft techniques: the Brent technique and the Nagata technique. It uses your body’s own biological tissue, specifically rib cartilage and skin. The first is a rib graft technique that was started back in the 1920s. On average, this consists of three to four surgeries, and there are two widely accepted techniques. There is also surgical reconstruction for microtia. There is also VistaFix that instead of being glued on, attaches similarly to the Baha implant. If you Google prosthetics for faces, you will find nose prosthetics, ear prosthetics, and others.

There are traditional prosthetics that are glued on. Prosthetics work best with anotia, but we are going to look at some cases later where that can be achieved by other means.

With microtia, we are mainly dealing with cosmetics of the outer ear. Images of these grades can be found at Regarding microtia, there are several different modes of treatment. Grade 4, also known as anotia, is the total absence of the external ear. Grade 3, is absence of an external ear, with a peanut-like vestige, for lack of a better term. Grade 2 has a little more deficiency of the ear structure. Grade 1 is a slightly smaller ear with the majority of the structure still present. It is typically categorized into four different grades. Microtia refers to the spectrum of deformities of the external ear. Even as audiologists, we sometimes use the terms loosely, so it's important to define the terminology. Terminology Microtiaįirst, I would like to review the difference between microtia and atresia. The topics we will cover today are atresia versus microtia, softbands, the bone-anchored hearing system (Baha) implant, and the expectations and considerations from a family’s perspective. Lisa Christensen: Today’s course is Understanding Atresia, Microtia, and the Baha System.

#Aural atresia download#

Download supplemental course materials.ĭr. Editor’s Note: This text course is an edited transcript of a live seminar.