Pinnaplasty: reshaping ears to improve hearing aid retention

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Plastic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Hearing aids are crucial for the deaf, but some individuals struggle with device retention due to ear shape.
• Prominent or cup-shaped ears, and post-surgical alterations, can impede proper hearing aid fitment.
• Previous conservative methods like tape and bands often prove unsuccessful.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of surgical ear reshaping (pinnaplasty) in improving hearing aid retention.
• To describe surgical techniques for modifying ear morphology to accommodate postaural hearing devices.
• To assess outcomes in pediatric and adult patients with hearing aid retention issues.

Main Methods:

• Pinnaplasty was performed on 19 ears across 11 children and 1 adult to correct ear shape for better hearing aid fit.
• Surgical techniques included creating an antihelical fold and using cartilage grafts to restore ear projection.
• Cases involved revision of previously operated ears and correction of congenital deformities.

Main Results:

• Successful hearing aid retention was achieved in 17 out of 19 treated ears following pinnaplasty.
• Pinnaplasty created a supportive antihelical fold or restored projection, aiding device stability.
• Two cases had suboptimal outcomes, one due to patient non-compliance and another due to insufficient postauricular space.

Conclusions:

• Pinnaplasty is an effective surgical strategy for enhancing hearing aid retention in patients with challenging ear anatomies.
• Careful surgical planning is essential to ensure adequate space for hearing aid components post-correction.
• This surgical approach offers a viable solution for improving the quality of life for individuals reliant on hearing aids.