HEALTH STYLE
EAR-LY DEVELOPMENT The Innovative New Technology for Tomorrow’s Children
When most people retire, they bid goodbye to the world of work and look forward to investing in some serious relaxation. Not so for David Thompson, Manager of the Maxillofacial Laboratory and Department of Reconstructive Science at the Ulster Hospital. After more than 40 years working in the health service, David is using his retirement to work with his business partner, Brian Bigmore on their latest development, customised splints to correct ear deformities in new born babies. H E A LT H C A R E PROFESSIONALS Mr Brian Bigmore
“B
etween 4 and 6% of children in the UK are born with ear deformities Mr David every year, Thompson research has Consultant & Director of E.A.R. Splints Ltd shown. “In 2011, that would have been just over a thousand babies just in Northern Ireland, says David. A lot of these cases would have been referred to me during my time as a Consultant at the Ulster Hospital, but I was seeing children at about 6 months old, which unfortunately was too late, as the optimum time to take action is between 0-7 weeks. The only choice was for the child to have a corrective procedure Principal Maxillofacial Prosthetist
around the age of 7 but this didn’t account for any potential problems in the intervening years.” The ears develop during the early stages of a baby’s growth in the womb, along with many other important internal organs. Whilst ear abnormalities can sometimes be a sign of related internal issues, many cases are totally benign and cause no harm to the baby or its hearing. The main concern is the appearance! “My concern was the psychological impact,” says David. “What may seem inconsequential at first can be a genuine source of distress for an older child, due to teasing or insecurity about their appearance. Many opt to have surgery later on, which can be both frightening and costly but I knew all this could be avoided. That’s why Brian and I dedicated ourselves to providing a solution.” The ear splint, which is
both painless and practical, was developed by David and his colleague, Brian Bigmore, following their realisation that the knowledge and treatment available for ear deformities was both limited and basic. “For those children that were in the right age bracket, we had to resort to wire and surgical tape which, whilst effective, was not practical. We developed the ear splint instead, which is fitted after a primary consultation where the ear is appraised. The splint is then worn for 23 hours a day over a series of weeks and usually, the baby is completely unaware of it,” says David. Originally, David ran a regional service for prosthetic appliances based in the Ulster Hospital and Brian researched the use of the splints over 3 years. This lead to an MSc degree and proof of concept of the treatment and they eventually considered bringing the concept to the public. Having decided to retire, David made the connection with the 3fivetwo Group through talks
with group co-founder, Mr Ashok Songra. Consultations for having these custom splints fitted can now be accessed through 3fivetwo Healthcare at the Maypole Clinic in Holywood and the therapy is also covered by H3 Health Insurance. “20 couples have purchased the splints so far and our continued research has shown that we have a 100% success rate when use of the splints is fully compliant with instructions, which is wonderful,” says David. “The feedback so far has been extremely positive with parents seeing a change in as little as 3 days. Of course, at such a short stage, this change isn’t permanent but it does help to reinforce that the treatment works. We can even do both ears at the same time to ensure they’re a perfect match!” Now that’s something parents will be delighted to hear! For more information on Ear Splints or to book a consultation, please visit www.3fivetwo.com or call 0845 60 06 352
FAC T F I L E Ear Splints are only available through 3fivetwo Healthcare at the Maypole Clinic in Holywood. The complete Ear Splint service includes consultations, a custom-made ear splint and follow up. This service is now covered by H3 Health Insurance. Before
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