Ear Tubes

BACKGROUND

Ear infections are a common problem in children. Because of the design of the middle ear and the eustachian tube (the tube which connects the middle ear into the back of the throat and opens up behind the nose), most children will have had at least one ear infection by the age of 3 years. As children age, the middle ear and the eustachian tube change so that they literally "grow out" of their ear infections by 5 - 6 years of age. However, there are some children who will continue to have problems into later childhood aid even adulthood. Most ear infections can be treated with medication. However, when medication has failed to prevent repeated ear infections or to clear fluid from the middle ears, it becomes necessary to consider placement of ear tubes. Our major concern is prevention of permanent damage to hearing as well as interference with normal speech development. As for the risk of this surgery, the potential for damaging the hearing is incredibly small. In fact, the risk of damage to your child's hearing is considerably greater from repeated infections and/or fluid in the ears than it is from the surgical procedure.

The reason for placement of the tubes is to decrease the frequency of ear infections. This does not mean that your child will never have another ear infection. However, the infections should be easier to treat, and, with the tubes in place, we can use antibiotic ear drops to treat many infections. Even if your child were to continue to have infections as frequently after the tubes are placed as they did before the operation, your child will still benefit from the surgery. This is because the infected fluid will be able to drain through the tubes and, therefore, minimize any risk to the hearing structures.

PROCEDURE

On the morning of surgery, your child will be brought into the Operating Room and will be put to sleep using a mask. All of the anesthesiologists with whom we work are experienced with children and enjoy caring for them. Once your child is asleep, placement of the tubes usually takes less than 10 minutes.

The procedure involves using a microscope to make a small opening in the eardrum. Any fluid, which is present, is suctioned out and a tube is placed to keep the opening in the ear from closing. The tubes, which are used in children undergoing their first ear tube procedure, will typically stay in for approximately one year. If this is a second set of tubes, the physician will let you know how long the tubes are expected to stay in place.

After an appropriate amount of time in the Recovery Room, the patient will be returned to you. He or she will then be observed for an appropriate period of time before sending him or her home. No patient will be discharged from the hospital until it is felt safe to do so.