Hearing

Most patients with microtia have some degree of aural atresia (no ear canal or ear drum) or external auditory canal stenosis (small ear canal), both of which can result in conductive hearing loss. Each ear is the doorway to the brain's auditory processing centers. It is important for us to have functional hearing out of both ears, not only to hear, but to utilize both pathways of the auditory system. Even a unilateral hearing loss (hearing loss in one ear) can impact functional communication, including hearing in background noise and hearing faint or distant speech. Hearing loss may also present with challenges as a child progresses into school age years, including increased attentional and working memory effort causing listening fatigue. That is why it is important to assess hearing regularly and to provide appropriate audiologic management, often in the form of a bone conduction hearing aid, to the affected ear at an early age.

As an otolaryngologist, Dr. Jabbour works closely with audiologists at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. He is trained in all aspects of medical and surgical treatment of conductive hearing loss.

Microtia Reconstruction

Microtia can affect how other people interract with you consciously and subconsiously. Our eyes are naturally drawn to any asymmetry or anatomical differences, which can make it difficult for others to sustain eye contact with patients with microtia. The goal of microtia reconstruction is to create symmetry and balance to the face. This is made possible by careful three dimensional study and analysis of the target ear and careful presurgical planning using custom 3D printed surgical guides that Dr. Jabbour designs for each patient, individually.

Dr. Jabbour has specific training in microtia reconstruction in both residency and in fellowship training. He has directed the Congenital Ear Center at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh since 2015. He has been innovative in the use of 3D printing and in the combination of multiple microtia techniques, including combining hearing surgery with the stages of microtia reconstruction.

Speech

Many patients with microtia and aural atresia also have speech delay (due to hearing loss), articulation errors, or hypernasality (too much air flow out the nose during speech). Microtia is often associated with some degree of hemifacial microsomia (smaller side of the face) and/or hemipalatal paresis (weakness of one side of the palate). Weakness of one side of the palate can make it difficult to close the palate firmly to the back of the throat during speech. This results in too much airflow escaping out of the nose during speech.

Dr. Jabbour works closely with speech language pathologists to assess speech in patients with microtia and aural atresia. He is trained in the surgical techniques to correct the underlying palate abnormalities and to reduce the inappropriate air escape out of the nose.