Microtia / anotia is the most important congential ear problem. It is the malformation of the ear in which the outer ear is either underdeveloped or abnormally shaped (microtia) or absent (anotia). This normally happens during the first trimester of pregnancy.
Anotia/microtia affects how the child’s ear looks but normally the parts of the ear inside the head (the inner ear) are not affected.
Microtia/anotia has been categorized in the following four categories –

• Type I, is the mildest form, where the ear retains its normal shape, but is
  smaller than usual.
• Type II, much of the lower two-thirds of the ear is still present. shape is noticebly abnormal but the ear is still recognizable.
• Type III, Absence of most of the external ear with a small “peanut” shaped
  remnant ear lobule and an absent ear canal and ear drum.
• [medin_icon icon=”icon-check-mark-1″Type IV, the most extreme and rarest form, in which all external ear structures
  are absent. This is called “anotia”.

The purpose of ear surgery is to reconstruct the external ear.