The DRF came into being because of a disagreement amongst friends. In 1963, a patient had undergone highly successful surgery restoring his hearing. He wanted to pay the surgeon but the surgeon did not want to take payment because the patient had very close family ties to another ear specialist. The surgeon felt the operation should be ‘on the house’.
The DRF came into being because of a disagreement amongst friends. In 1963, a patient had undergone highly successful surgery restoring his hearing. He wanted to pay the surgeon but the surgeon did not want to take payment because the patient had very close family ties to another ear specialist. The surgeon felt the operation should be ‘on the house’.
A compromise between patient and surgeon was reached when Sir Patrick Eisdell Moore (the surgeon), who was keen to get deafness research started, accepted a cheque from the patient for 50 pounds. He banked it with the Auckland Savings Bank in the name of a new organisation, the Deafness Research Foundation.
This was the start of the DRF and this new organisation consisted of three ENT surgeons – Eric Macdonald, Bruce Cornish and Sir Patrick – as well as the grateful patient and first benefactor, Matthew Wilks.
In 1964, following an initial clinical trial, the newly created DRF supported surgeon Dr Bruce Cornish and research physician Dr (later Professor Sir) John Scott in a series of experiments to study histologically and serologically the replacement of sheep ear drums with freeze dried heart valve cusps from humans, sheep and bullocks.
In 1964, following an initial clinical trial, the newly created DRF supported surgeon Dr Bruce Cornish and research physician Dr (later Professor Sir) John Scott in a series of experiments to study histologically and serologically the replacement of sheep ear drums with freeze dried heart valve cusps from humans, sheep and bullocks. The ear proved to be a well tolerated “favoured” site for all 3 graft sources. This justified extensive use of homograft and heterograft valve cusps to repair or replace human ear drums which had been damaged by infection. Serological studies in humans were equally reassuring. Then in 1966 DRF supported work leading to replacement of absent ear drums with homograft ear drums complete with an attached hearing bone (malleus handle).”
The world’s first total eardrum transplant was carried out in 1965 by Sir Patrick Eisdell Moore, on a young Whanganui woman who was severely deaf. Not only was the eardrum missing but part of her tiny ear bones as well. A grafted eardrum was inserted and the absent ear bones were replaced by a tiny stainless steel wire attached to a bony strip which was part of the new transplanted drum. It worked.
Ear infections causing perforation, discharge and deafness were very common especially in Māori children in isolated rural communities. In 1965, DRF initiated a programme based at Te Puia on the North Island’s east coast. With supervision from an ENT surgeon visiting from Auckland, an enthusiastic local GP was provided with, and taught to use a sophisticated microscope, observer side arm and suction, to treat children brought in from the wider area and to show their parents what was being done.
Ear infections causing perforation, discharge and deafness were very common especially in Māori children in isolated rural communities. In 1965, DRF initiated a programme based at Te Puia on the North Island’s east coast. With supervision from an ENT surgeon visiting from Auckland an enthusiastic local GP was provided with and taught to use a sophisticated microscope, observer side arm and suction, to treat children brought in from the wider area and to show their parents what was being done. Parents became enthused as the children’s ears which had been discharging mucus, dried up, their hearing improved and for most the ear drums healed. If that did not happen, the child was brought to Auckland for grafting of a dry hole with a heart valve cusp. The results were carefully recorded and astonishing.
The next challenge was to extend this effective treatment to children everywhere – to take the hospital into the community. In 1974, 1976 and 1977, with support initially from Rotary clubs and later from the Variety Club, caravans were similarly equipped, staffed with public health nurses, district nurses and volunteers, and towed to identified areas in rural Northland and suburban Auckland. Results with various treatment variations were carefully recorded and reported. From 1991, towed caravans were gradually replaced with motorised “mobile ear clinics” , the numbers grew and were deployed very widely.
From 1970, DRF also supported studies assessing high levels of ear disease in several of the Pacific islands and facilitated training and treatment programmes.
As the nature of the bacteria changed, discharging ears were replaced by glue ears with mucus behind intact drums causing hearing loss. DRF undertook several studies to determine which bacteria were responsible and how the problem is best dealt with.
The Cochlea Implant Programme was established in 1986. This was a long-held dream of Sir Patrick Eisdell-Moore and meant that New Zealanders could now take advantage of the latest technology available to people overseas.
The Cochlea Implant Programme was established in 1986. This was a long-held dream of Sir Patrick Eisdell-Moore and meant that New Zealanders could now take advantage of the latest technology available to people overseas. This operation offered profoundly deaf people the chance to be able to ‘hear’ again.
The results of the adult programme were encouraging and the DRF expanded its scope to include children who had lost their hearing early on. Many candidates were children who had lost their hearing as a result of a meningitis epidemic. Assessments of these children in turn highlighted the need to treat them as soon as possible after their meningitis as in some cases the meningitis had caused growth of bone in the inner-ear, which prevented a cochlear implant operation.
The work with the Cochlea Implant programme went from strength to strength and new research in this area is currently being funded.