We want Mace to be operated by a doctor in America. That is not peanuts. But for Mace, this is actually the only solution to get ears. You may think now, why America? We also have good surgeons in the Netherlands? That’s right, but this is a very specific method that has achieved the best results in America so far.
Why not in The Netherlands?
The method used in the Netherlands, an operation with rib cartilage, is unfortunately not an option for Mace. Because both ears have to be reconstructed, a lot of rib cartilage will be needed, which ultimately means very painful and multiple operations for Mace. And this is not recommended by surgeons in the Netherlands for Mace.
Surgery in the U.S.
In the U.S. developments in this area are far ahead than the rest of the world. There are two doctors in the U.S. who specialize in this kind of surgeries. They have already carried out many successful surgeries with a method developed by one of them: the Medpor method. We therefore want Mace to be operated by one of these doctors in America.
What is the Medpor method?
Medpor was developed in 1991 by the American doctor Dr. John Reinisch. Medpor is a artificial material which is molded to reconstruct the ear. The Medpor method uses a frame which forms the ear. This material can be shaped in such a way that it is a near identical copy of the child’s existing ear. With the Medpor method, a child can be operated on from the age of 4. This is possible because no bodily material such as rib cartilage is required. Rib cartilage can only be “harvested” once the child is 10 years old or has reached a certain weight.
The Medpor method is the best and only option for Mace to reconstruct an ear on both sides.
What is the plan?
In contrast to the cartilage method (where the frame is placed under the scalp and cheek skin), the Medpor method places the frame on the cheek and scalp. A thin membrane of living tissue is placed over the frame. A suction method is then used to shrink the membrane around the implant and shape the ear. The skin is then placed over the membrane to cover the front and back of the new ear. As a result, the ear is already somewhat detached from the head, just like a normal ear. With the Medpor method the new ear can usually be made in 1 surgery. Also, the results are often less thick and more realistic than the rib cartilage method.