Otoplasty: special attention in patients wearing hearing aids.
OBJECTIVE
Surgical procedure for the correction of prominent ears (lop ears, bat ears) is very common. Nevertheless in some occasions a post operative narrowing of the external meatus and/or an overcorrection of the pinna can arise. In a patient with hearing loss who wears or who is candidate to wear hearing aids this can have severe consequences. This association (prominent ears and hearing loss) can be isolated or found in some congenital syndromes (Noonan, fragile X syndrome).


METHODS
2 cases of otoplasty in patients wearing hearing aids. The Negrevergne otoplasty technique was used in both cases and a simultaneous meatoplasty was performed with the goal of achieving an external ear meatus of a suitable size for a proper use of hearing aids. Also the overcorrection of the pinna was avoided in using this technique allowing the retention of the behind the ear hearing aid.


CONCLUSIONS
Simultaneous oto-meato-plasty represents a valid solution to avoid post operative inconvenient in patients wearing hearing aids.
Institut G. Portmann, 114 avenue d'Arès, 33076 Bordeaux cedex, France.
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Rinaldi
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D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D054644:Ear Auricle / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D006801:Humans; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*