AIIMS-Bibinagar Doctors Perform Rare Ear Reconstruction Surgery on 11-Year-Old Using Rib Cartilage

An 11-year-old child from Andhra Pradesh underwent ear reconstruction surgery from doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Bibinagar. The boy's own bone cartilage from his ribcage was used in the process.

Microtia, commonly referred to as "absent ear," is a disorder in which the right side of the child's outer ear has not fully formed since birth. In these situations, doctors typically put off on extracting bone cartilage until the child is eight or nine years old, as this allows the skeletal skeleton to mature properly.

“Such cases are very rare, and only a few hospitals in the State, including AIIMS Bibinagar, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences and Osmania General Hospital, have the capability to perform these surgeries,” said Mula Rohit Babu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery.

According to Dr. Rohit Babu, people with this disorder typically hide their ears under their hair and experience severe psychological damage and low self-esteem. “This is particularly challenging for females who cannot wear earrings or other ornaments on the affected side. The condition can be treated with plastic surgery, using the patient’s own rib cartilage to reconstruct the ear. This method has a higher success rate compared to silicone implants, which are prone to infection or rejection by the body,” he added.

The procedure took place on July 24 and took almost six hours. Rib cartilage was taken out during the surgery, molded into the shape of an ear, and implanted in the absence of the ear. Following a seven-day hospital stay, the child made a full recovery and was released. “Minor surgeries will be needed in future to further refine the reconstructed ear to make it look more natural,” he added.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Priyanka Pandey/MSM)