Ear tube placement is one of the most common childhood surgeries, with a low risk of serious complications. As with any surgery, there are still risks that need to be fully considered before deciding if ear tubes are the best option for your child. Generally speaking, tubes remain in the eardrum the tympanic membrane and provide improved ventilation of the middle ear and do not require any further intervention other than routine follow-up in clinic.
The first post-operative check usually occurs at six to eight weeks. Your child is then usually evaluated every six months until the tubes have extruded been forced out and the ear drums have healed. In most cases, this is an outpatient surgery, which means your child will have surgery and go home the same day.
The procedure usually takes eight to 15 minutes, though your child will need more time to recover from general anesthesia.
They will evaluate your child to make sure she is fit for her operation. If you have any last-minute questions, this is a good time to ask them. An operating room nurse will come to meet your child and escort her to the operating room. Your child will receive anesthetic medication that is either inhaled through a breathing mask most common or administered through a vein. Your child will be asleep within a minute of receiving the medication and will not be aware of the operation.
After the procedure, your child is woken up in the operating room. She will then be moved to a recovery room where nurses and doctors will monitor her recovery. While your child is recovering, she may be irritable or sleepy. You will be able to stay with your child in the recovery room to soothe and reassure her as she recovers. Some children may also be nauseated after sedation. Most children can go home one to two hours after surgery, though they may continue to be sleepy, irritable or nauseated for the rest of the day.
Your child should be able to resume her normal activities within 24 hours of the ear tube insertion. Before your child is discharged, you will receive instructions about how to care for your child at home, what to expect and when to call the doctor. For most young children, ear tubes are highly effective at treating chronic ear infections and middle ear fluid. The ear tubes will help even out air pressure inside and outside the ear. Ear tubes won't prevent all ear infections, but they can make them milder and happen less often.
In some cases, the tubes might need to be put in again. In most cases, surgery to remove an ear tube isn't necessary. The tube usually falls out on its own, pushed out as the eardrum heals. A tube generally stays in the ear anywhere from 6 months to 18 months, depending on the type of tube used.
If the tube stays in the eardrum beyond 2 to 3 years, though, your doctor might choose to remove it surgically. This is a very common and safe procedure, although there are risks with any surgery, including infection, bleeding, and problems with anesthesia.
Rarely, the hole in the eardrum does not close after the tube comes out, and might need to be fixed surgically. See the doctor right away or go the emergency room if there is a lot of blood in the ear drainage or if the ear pain is severe. Reviewed by: Patrick C. Barth, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Ear Tube Surgery? A doctor might suggest ear tube surgery if: a child gets many ear infections that don't clear up easily the ear infections seem to be causing hearing loss or speech delay Ear tube surgery can drain fluid from the middle ear, prevent future infections, and help the child hear properly again.
The middle ear is the area of the ear most likely to experience infections. Ear tubes can also be used to help children who experience hearing loss due to fluid build-up, even if they don't experience ear infections. While ear tubes may reduce the number of ear infections, they don't stop infections completely.
If your child does get an ear infection, there will be ear drainage and antibiotic ear drops can treat the infection. Ear drops are more effective and have fewer side effects than oral antibiotics.
Children with ear tubes can use these drops, a major benefit of ear tube surgery. While ear tubes are not medically necessary, they can help relieve the pain of middle ear infections and make those infections easier to manage.
Your child does not have to be a particular age for ear tubes. They may be infants or teens and still benefit from ear tubes. Surgery to place ear tubes called a myringotomy is a minute outpatient surgery that is performed under general anesthesia.
Most children are back to normal by evening and can go back to school or daycare the next day. Our subspecialty-trained pediatric anesthesiologists regularly provide pediatric anesthesiology services for patients undergoing surgical procedures. Surgery : A pediatric ENT surgeon will insert an ear speculum, make a small incision in the ear drum, and drain any fluid from the middle ear.
The surgeon will then insert the ear tube to ventilate the middle ear. You and your child should be able to return home within one to two hours following ear tube surgery.
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