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Socioeconomic disparities in reconstructive pediatric microtia surgery
Kalena Liu1, Alex J Gordon2, Danielle F Eytan3
1City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
|February 22, 2025
Summary
Non-White pediatric patients with microtia underwent more surgeries and interventions for hearing and ear reconstruction compared to White patients. Further research into socioeconomic factors is needed.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology and Audiology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Health Disparities Research
Background:
- Microtia is a congenital ear deformity requiring surgical intervention for hearing and external ear reconstruction.
- Understanding factors influencing treatment pathways is crucial for equitable care in pediatric otologic surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of race/ethnicity and education on the timing and number of interventions for pediatric microtia.
- To identify disparities in hearing intervention and external ear reconstruction for children with microtia.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of pediatric patients with microtia from 2013-2021 at a major surgical institution.
- Analysis of demographic data, patient conditions, time to surgery, and number of surgical procedures.
- Statistical methods included ANOVA, chi-squared tests, and multivariate regression analysis.
Main Results:
- Non-White patients with microtia underwent significantly more external ear reconstructive surgeries compared to White patients (p=0.004).
- All non-White racial groups showed increased total surgeries and interventions versus White patients (p=0.007 and p=0.02, respectively).
- Race was a significant predictor of reconstructive and overall surgeries; aural atresia strongly predicted hearing surgery needs.
Conclusions:
- Significant disparities in the number of surgical interventions for microtia exist among racial groups.
- Further investigation into socioeconomic determinants of care is essential to address these observed disparities in pediatric microtia surgery.
