On Saturday, July 20th, 2019, Vanderbilt University Medical Center hosted the 4th Annual Microtia and Atresia educational conference at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital. We had nearly 100 parents and individuals join us this year at our MAC conference. Attendees learned about all of the options available for Microtia and Atresia and were able to meet with medical professionals to get answers to their questions. A parent panel helped families who have had surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center share their experiences with conference attendees. On site childcare was available for FREE during the conference, providing entertainment and fun crafts for children who attended. ASL and closed captioning was available.
The conference included presentations made by the following Microtia and Atresia Clinic staff members:
- Ron Eavey, MD, SM (ENT Clinical Director) – Welcome, Microtia and Atresia research, rib graft surgery including soft tissue repair
- Scott Stephan, MD – Medpor outer ear reconstruction and CAM (Canalplasty w/Medpor one stage surgery) and what to expect
- Alejandro Rivas, MD – Canalplasty, aural atresia repair, CAM (Canalplasty and Medpor one stage surgery) and BAI hearing devices
- Brandy Stephens, AuD – Hearing management and bone anchored hearing implants
- Scott Fiscus, BCO – Anaplastology and ear prosthesis
- Parent Panel
Here are some memories from the 2019 Microtia and Atresia conference hosted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center:
The Microtia and Atresia conference was followed by our Ear Community Microtia and Atresia family picnic with nearly 200 people joining us. Everyone enjoyed a lovely picnic day at the Vanderbilt University recreation center where the kids enjoyed getting their faces painted, balloon art, a magician and outdoor fun. Brody Hurley, along with his mom, Dayla, and father Travis, including his siblings Brilee and Brooklyn, helped host our picnic (patients of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center). The Hurley family shared their experience with Brody having bilateral Microtia and Atresia and their decision to aid and implant Brody with two bone anchored hearing devices to help him hear better. Our picnic provided a delicious Tennessee barbecue lunch from Jim N’ Nicks BBQ. The Founders of Ear Community, Melissa, Hailey, and Ally Tumblin, also joined us at this year’s Ear Community picnic. The Ear Community Organization (including the Tumblin Family and board members Melissa McClellan and Rachel Songy) honored the Vanderbilt MAC clinic and staff with an award recognizing the clinic as an international center for excellence and for helping so many Microtia and Atresia families. We had the wonderful opportunity to enjoy music performed by some very special musician friends of ours too, Kole Shuda and Noelle Smith. Both Kole and Noelle were born with Microtia and Atresia which made everything even more special while we listened to them perform, knowing that our children can go on to become anything they want to in life. Ear Community Attending families were given the opportunity to try on hearing devices and learn more about prosthetic ears and Medpor implants for outer ear reconstruction. The Vanderbilt University Medical Center staff (Drs. Eavey, Stephan, and Rivas, along with Dr. Stephens AuD, Scott Fiscus BCO), joined us wearing our “Vandy Microtia Kids Rock” t-shirts during our picnic portion of the event. Everyone enjoyed the day and we look forward to seeing so many of you again each year at our Vanderbilt University Medical Center Microtia and Atresia conference, clinic, and Ear Community picnic!
Here are some fun memories from our 2019 Microtia and Atresia picnic:
To make an appointment, e-mail us at: MicrotiaAtresiaClinic@VUMC.org or call ph: 615-343-6166.