Question
A newborn was diagnosed with congenital right ear deformity at birth, with missing ear canal and unable to undergo a hearing test. Can surgery to open the ear canal be performed on a newborn? When is it most appropriate to perform this type of surgery?
Answer
To avoid any adverse effects on the child’s physical and mental health, surgery should be completed before the age of school entry, typically recommended between 6 years old and before the onset of puberty (around 14 years of age). If surgery is done too early, due to insufficient development of the rib cartilage, there may be limited material available, and growth may lead to changes in the reconstructed ear shape and chest deformity. However, surgery should not be delayed until an older age either, as with increasing age, the texture of the rib cartilage changes, which may affect the carving of the external ear reconstruction frame and the maintenance of its later shape.