Reply: “Nonsurgical Correction of Congenital Ear Anomalies: A Review of the Literature”

Feijen, Michelle Marlena Wilhelmina; Cruchten, Cas van; Payne, Phileemon E.; Hulst, René R W J van der

doi:10.1097/gox.0000000000003562

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…There is a great need for health insurance companies to acknowledge the psychosocial effects of ear anomalies and the advantages of early nonoperative intervention as a preventative measure for surgery. A recent study showed that only 7% of American insurance companies had policies on nonoperative methods to correct congenital ear anomalies, and of these, only 25% would cover treatment costs if associated with medical necessity, such as hearing loss 22. Hearing loss is rarely associated with the types of congenital ear anomalies described in this article, and more commonly with ear malformations such as microtia, or with syndromic patients.…”

Section: Common Ear Deformationsmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…A recent study showed that only 7% of American insurance companies had policies on nonoperative methods to correct congenital ear anomalies, and of these, only 25% would cover treatment costs if associated with medical necessity, such as hearing loss. 22 Hearing loss is rarely associated with the types of congenital ear anomalies described in this article, and more commonly with ear malformations such as microtia, or with syndromic patients. Many insurance companies view this treatment as a cosmetic procedure, failing to acknowledge the associated psychosocial consequences of the patients, an area that has been well researched and shown to play a role in bullying, social isolation, confidence, and self-esteem later in life.…”

Section: Common Ear Deformationsmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Hearing loss is rarely associated with the types of congenital ear anomalies described in this article, and more commonly with ear malformations such as microtia, or with syndromic patients. Many insurance companies view this treatment as a cosmetic procedure, failing to acknowledge the associated psychosocial consequences of the patients, an area that has been well researched and shown to play a role in bullying, social isolation, confidence, and self-esteem later in life 22. It is important to advise patients to inquire about their insurance coverage for ear molding.…”

Section: Common Ear Deformationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many insurance companies view this treatment as a cosmetic procedure, failing to acknowledge the associated psychosocial consequences of the patients, an area that has been well researched and shown to play a role in bullying, social isolation, confidence, and self-esteem later in life. 22 It is important to advise patients to inquire about their insurance coverage for ear molding. However, the out-of-pocket cost for ear molding is significantly less than the cost of an…”

Section: Common Ear Deformationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation and Nonsurgical Treatment of Neonatal Ear Anomalies

Moss

Gargaro

2022

Advances in Neonatal Care

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Background: Inspection and evaluation of the neonate's ears are important parts of the neonatal examination. Neonates display a wide variety of ear size and configuration. In many cases, ear molding techniques obviate the need for future surgical correction. This article provides a review of the fetal ear development and describes common physical examination findings of the newborn's external ear. A case report reviews a successful nonsurgical treatment of a minor ear deformity. Clinical Findings: Newborn infant with near absent to very thin bilateral helical rims and otherwise normal bilateral ear shape and structures. Primary Diagnosis: Bilateral Stahl's ear deformity. Interventions:The EarBuddies product was applied to bilateral ears in an outpatient pediatric plastic surgery clinic. This product remained in place for 8 weeks. Outcomes: The family was pleased with the overall progress and shape of their child's ears. At 18 months of age, the family has no desire to pursue surgical correction of their child's ears. Practice Recommendations: Assessment of the newborn's external ear is part of a routine admission examination. Careful attention to abnormal or unusual findings allows for prompt evaluation and nonsurgical intervention.

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Section: Common Ear Deformationsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Section: Common Ear Deformationsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Common Ear Deformationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Common Ear Deformationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Evaluation and Nonsurgical Treatment of Neonatal Ear Anomalies

Moss

Gargaro

2022

Advances in Neonatal Care

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“…This is long before the onset of teasing, bullying, and lowered selfesteem. 3,4 If corrections are initiated after the time window, however, the total treatment time can be much longer, and the outcomes are less favorable. The transient malleability and plasticity of cartilage are the basis for the success of ear molding during early developmental stage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes of Age‐related Auricular Cartilage Plasticity and Biomechanical Property in a Rabbit Model

Chen

et al. 2022

The Laryngoscope

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Objectives: Ear molding is an emerging technique that can correct auricular deformities. Treatment initiation time is the most important prognostic determinant of ear molding. Here, we aimed to examine why auricular cartilage plasticity appeared to diminish with age. Thus, we characterized age-related changes in the biomechanical, biochemical, and morphological properties of auricular cartilage.Methods: New Zealand rabbits were used as the experimental animal. We examined immature [postnatal 0 day (P0), 5 days (P5), 15 days (P15)], young [2 months (2M)], and mature [6 months (6M)] rabbits. Rabbits' ears were splinted and folded using adhesive fixation strips. Folding duration ranged from 1 day to 5 days to 10 days. Photographs were taken to calculate the retained fold angle. Cartilage morphology and extracellular matrix (ECM) content were examined histologically (using hematoxylin-eosin, Safranin O, elastic Van Gieson, and Masson's trichrome). Water content, DNA content, and cell density were also analyzed. Biomechanical properties were measured using a Nano indenter.Results: Immature ears had smaller angles after strip removal, and the angled deformation lasted a longer time. Cartilage matrix compositions, including glycosaminoglycan (GAG), elastin fiber, and collagen, increased over development. The water content, DNA content, and cell density decreased with age. Young's modulus was significantly higher in mature cartilage.Conclusions: Here, we successfully established an animal model of ear molding and demonstrated that immature cartilage was associated with better plasticity. We also found that the cartilage's biomechanical property increased with the accumulation of ECM. The biomechanical change could underlie age-related shape plasticity.

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