EarWell Washington DC
Congenital ear anomalies are common and can be difficult to treat. Traditionally, surgery has been necessary to treat ear anomalies such as Stahls ear, cryptotia, cup ear, lop ear, and protruding ears. Unfortunately, these patients are not candidates for surgical correction until 7-8 years of age. This delay in treatment may result in patient and/or parental anxiety. Additionally, when surgical correction is performed it is very challenging surgery, and the best surgical results may fall short of patient expectations.
EarWell™ is a new medical device that non-surgically and painlessly corrects infant ear deformities, regardless of type or severity. It has been designed to properly and permanently reshape the ear during the narrow time window when circulating maternal estrogens remain at high levels in the child. Best results are achieved when EarWell™ therapy is initiated within the first three weeks of life.
The incidence of ear deformities is substantially higher than what most of us had believed. Several published studies indicate that the frequency of occurrence actually exceeds 15% of all newborns, and may be as high as 25%. Most ears do not significantly self-correct; documentation now indicates that 70% of the ears deformed at infancy either stay the same or get worse.
This nonsurgical molding treatment eliminates the need for future surgery in most cases. Even if a child needs surgery when he is older, the surgery will be less complicated than if the EarWell™ had not been worn, and the ear will look better until surgical correction is an option (7-8 yrs of age) reducing psychosocial problems. The procedure is typically covered by most insurance plans, eliminating most out-of pocket parental expense.
It is important to note that this system is designed to correct significant ear anomalies. Minor discrepancies between the ears may be treated with this technique but it is important to note that the Earwell™ system will not achieve perfect symmetry between the ears. It will make a major abnormality appear more normal.
If your newborn’s ears appear deformed or misshapen, please make an appointment to see Dr. Baker within the first four weeks of life so the ear anomaly can be corrected without surgery and likely, with a better result for the patient.
