Abstract
Purpose :
Microtia is a congenital anomaly of the external ear ranging from mild structural malformations to complete absence called anotia. There are currently minimal choices of glasses available for children or adults with microtia/anotia. The aim of this work is to report a novel glasses design to be used by this patient population. We will describe two case reports to illustrate the current challenges these patients face and how these innovative glasses may offer a solution and improve their quality of life.
Methods :
Two 2 mm diameter nylon monofilament cords are fastened to a frame assembly. One cord wraps around the occiput of the patient’s head in a transverse fashion and the other wraps over the top of the head in a coronal fashion. The transverse cord is attached to the rims of the glasses frame and is adjustable using a special fastener tube to allow the cord to slide through to accommodate various head circumference. The coronal cord is secured to the transverse cord using soldered brass connectors. This cord can be sized to any length to create a custom fit. Two children with bilateral microtia were fitted for these glasses. We followed these children over time to evaluate the success of the glasses.
Results :
The glasses offered an acceptable solution for the two cases described. The children’s representatives reported a secure and comfortable fit while allowing the children to participate in their normal daily activities.
Conclusions :
New microtia glasses are an acceptable option and meet the current challenges. These glasses may benefit additional patient populations such as patients with micro or macrocephaly and burn victims.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.