EarWell in NY, NYC and Long Island
Dr. Bastidas has been using the EarWell device for ear molding for over 10 years. Ear was developed by a craniofacial surgeon and allows for the creation of a universal silicone kit for application. Ear Well is a great device which can be customized for your child to treat the deformity safely and effectively.
Ear well application steps:
Your baby’s ears are carefully studied and the type of deformities are noted. The ear is measured and the appropriate sized ear well cradle is then chosen to place around the ear. About 1 inch of hair may be shaves around the ear. The silicone cradle is then shaped and placed so that the convex posterior portion will sit just behind the post auricular fold. The helix is set back onto the adhesive of the Ear Well device and then the appropriately sized cli may be placed so that it abuts the anti helix. The helical/antihelical deformity is corrected to subjective approval by the surgeon.
Usually then we assess the conchal bowl to see how the ear now looks within the Ear Well device. The conchal bowl former is then placed within to allow for correction of either a third crus deformity or conchal eversion. The conchal conformer can also serve to help push back the lower third of the ear to reduce its prominence. It has holes in it which allows your baby to hear sounds while the EarWell is on.
The protective cover (which also has holes) of the Ear Well is then placed with care being sure to not pinch your baby’s ear. Dr. Bastidas uniquely, used an additional adhesive and hypoallergenic tape to more rigidly fix the EarWell device. The device is left undisturbed for 2 weeks prior to re-evaluation and adjustment of the clips and conformers followed by re-taping. Parents are instructed to keep the area clean and dry during this process. Sometimes a small area of irritation or a pressure sore may develop in cases of extreme deformity. The device may be removed and the area allowed to rest prior to reapplication of the Ear molding EarWell device.
Using these techniques Dr. Bastidas has performed over 1000 Ear Molding reconstruction using Ear Well in both his Long Island and NYC offices. Ear molding and ear reconstruction is a passion for Dr. Bastidas and his team, and the results speak for themselves. Dr. Bastidas also has experience in doing Ear molding in older children (2-3 months) with some success and has published his experience in the field.
