Here in New York City, an ear surgery for microtia and ear canal atresia can be performed with one single stage repair with the Reinisch MEDPOR technique.  The microtia ear can be transformed by creating the total external ear frame at the same time as the auditory canal for hearing.  Dr. Reinisch invented the technique for microtia repair with MEDPOR in the 1980’s.  After completing my fellowship in pediatric plastic and craniofacial surgery with him, I practiced alongside him at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for 6 years.  Over my 14 years in practice, I have performed more than 200 of the Reinisch MEDPOR ear repairs to correct microtia in New York (NYC) and Los Angeles. Now, we have been reconstructing the total external ear and creating the auditory ear canal in one operation, which is truly incredible.

The traditional technique of using rib cartilage to create the external ear requires 3 or 4 or more operations.  The aesthetic outcome of ear shape and projection from rib cartilage is usually poor to mediocre.  Most of the time a child with this kind of poorly reconstructed ear will hide it with his or her hair.

A Single Stage Microtia Total Ear with Auditory Canal Reconstruction

With the Reinisch MEDPOR ear repair technique, we are able to create a much more natural looking complete external ear with the appropriate ear projection, which is very difficult to do with the traditional rib cartilage reconstruction.   We can perform this operation at 4 years of age before a child will get emotionally scarred from teasing.  A CT scan of the middle ear will determine if a child can have the ear canal atresia corrected at the same time as the external ear reconstruction.  Dr. Katrina Stidham (neuro-otologist) and I have been working together for the past 4 years and we have had tremendous success with the single stage total ear reconstruction with the Reinisch MEDPOR ear repair and ear canal reconstruction.  Dr. Kim proudly serves the communities of the West Village, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, Soho, East Village, Lower East Side, Tribeca.  His office is only a subway or car commute away from Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and Staten Island as well as Westchester County.

BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS