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Scientific Oral Presentation

Pediatric Otolaryngology

Listening Fatigue in Children with Conductive Hearing Loss and Microtia/aural Atresia

Sunday, October 18, 2026
8:54 AM - 9:00 AM PT
Location: 409AB

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Elizabeth A. Lamberty, BA

    Medical Student
    University of Colorado School of Medicine
    Denver, CO, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • BA

    Brandon Abell, BS

    Medical Student
    University of Colorado School of Medicine, Colorado, United States

    • Senior Author(s)

  • Sarah A. Gitomer, MD

    Assistant Professor
    University of Colorado School of Medicine
    AURORA, Colorado, United States

  • MH

    Megan Hedman, AuD

    Auditory Evoked Potentials Clinical Practice Specialist
    University of Colorado School of Medicine, United States

Disclosure(s):
Elizabeth A. Lamberty, BA:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: Microtia and aural atresia are congenital external ear anomalies associated with conductive hearing loss. This study examines if sociodemographic, surgical, or audiological factors are associated with variations in subjective listening fatigue, via Vanderbilt Fatigue Scale (VFS) scores, among children with microtia and atresia.

Methods: Retrospective chart review identified 43 patients with microtia who completed VFS surveys, measuring listening-related fatigue by child and parental report, within the last year. Demographics, audiological findings, and surgical interventions were analyzed. Descriptive and comparative statistics are presented.

Results: The cohort was predominately male (55.8%) and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (53.5%), consistent with epidemiology of microtia. Mean age at most recent audiogram was 10.63±3.69 years. 60.5% of patients had severe conductive hearing loss and 27.9% had moderate-severe hearing loss. Mean parent mental (7.86 ± 6.07) and physical (7.49 ± 4.21) fatigue scores fell within the infrequent fatigue range, not requiring follow up. However, 5 parents (11.6%) scores required follow up. Mean child fatigue scores (n=42; 12.48 ± 7.99) were also in the infrequent fatigue range, with 2 children's (4.65%) scores requiring follow up. Parents of children with severe hearing loss reported significantly greater physical fatigue (p=0.018) than those of children with moderate hearing loss, while parent mental fatigue and child reported fatigue did not differ. These results are in the setting of high hearing device utilization: 20.9% of patients had a surgically implanted transcutaneous bone conduction device, 44.2% had a non-surgical bone conduction device, and 4.7% had atresiaplasty.

Conclusions: Listening-related fatigue as measured by the VFS in our cohort was comparable to normal hearing children. This tool was useful in identifying the 12% of children requiring follow up to mitigate listening-related fatigue. Further data collection comparing those with reduced compliance may determine impact of device usage on listening-related fatigue in this population.