What is microtia? How does it happen? Studies have shown that microtia is associated with viral infections, medication, mental stimulation during early pregnancy, or exposure to radiation or environmental pollution. These factors affect the development of the 1st and 2nd parotid arches of the fetus, resulting in congenital microtia. The incidence of microtia is as high as 4000:1. It should be noted that microtia is not genetically caused. The typical microtia patient has a peanut-shaped stump that does not grow with age, so the only way to return the child to a normal sized and shaped ear is through surgery. Can microtia with facial deformities be treated surgically? Most of the facial organs also originate from the gill arches, so many patients with microtia have facial defects. This is manifested by the shortness of the affected side of the face, and the underdevelopment of the mandible and superficial soft tissues. For patients with microtia accompanied by more serious facial deformities, facial deformity correction surgery can be performed at the same time to lengthen the affected side of the lower jaw and ensure the basic symmetry of the face on both sides. Can hearing be restored? Some patients with microtia have normal hearing, some have residual hearing due to developmental malformations of the middle ear, and about 2% have no hearing at all due to developmental malformations of the middle and inner ear. Fortunately, most patients with microtia have a normal ear on one side, plus the affected ear itself has a partial hearing of 40-60 decibels (normal 0-20 decibels), so there is basically no effect in daily learning and life. Complications of middle ear reconstruction include narrowing of the ear canal and deformation of the graft. Patients should avoid water in the ear canal after surgery. When is microtia surgery performed? At the age of 3, the auricle of a child can reach 85% of the adult size, and at the age of 10 it almost stops growing. Therefore, 5-10 years of age is the right time for surgery. Internationally, it is considered that around the age of 6 years it is already possible to carve an ear support of sufficient size from autologous cartilage.