How To Remove Ear Tubes

What Is Ear Tube Surgery?

Ear tubes are tiny tubes made of metallic or plastic. During ear tube surgery, a small hole is made in the eardrums and the tubes are inserted. The opening to the heart ear (the area behind the eardrum) lets air period in and out. This keeps air pressure even between the middle ear and the outside, and helps to bleed fluid that builds upwards backside the eardrum.

Nearly kids won't need surgery to take a tube taken out later. Ear tubes usually fall out on their own, pushed out as the eardrum heals.

Ear tubes are also called tympanostomy tubes, myringotomy tubes, ventilation tubes, or pressure equalization (PE) tubes.

Why Is Ear Tube Surgery Washed?

Many kids get middle ear infections (otitis media). This often happens when a child has a common cold or other respiratory infection. Bacteria or viruses tin can enter the middle ear and fill it with fluid or pus. When fluid pushes on the eardrum, it can cause an earache and touch on hearing. Long periods of decreased hearing in young children can pb to delays in speech development.

Children who get a lot of ear infections are sometimes sent for hearing tests.

A doctor might suggest ear tube surgery if:

a kid gets many ear infections that don't clear upward hands
the ear infections seem to exist causing hearing loss or voice communication delay

Ear tube surgery can drain fluid from the middle ear, prevent future infections, and help the kid hear properly again.

What Happens Earlier Ear Tube Surgery?

Your health care provider will tell you what and when your kid can eat and drink before the surgery, because the stomach must be empty on the day of the process.

Surgery, no affair how common or uncomplicated, tin can exist scary for kids. You can help prepare your kid by talking virtually what to expect during the ear tube surgery.

What Happens During Ear Tube Surgery?

An ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon will do the surgery, called a myringotomy (meer-in-GOT-uh-mee). Information technology's done in an operating room while your child is under full general anesthesia. The anesthesiologist volition carefully watch your kid and keep him or her safely and comfortably asleep during the procedure.

The surgeon volition make a small hole in each eardrum and remove fluid from the middle ear using suction. Because the surgeon tin reach the eardrum through the ear canal, in that location are no visible cuts or stitches.

The surgeon will cease by putting the small metal or plastic tube into the pigsty in the eardrum.

How Long Does Ear Tube Surgery Take?

Ear tube surgery usually takes nearly 10 to fifteen minutes.

What Happens After Ear Tube Surgery?

Your kid volition wake up in the recovery area. In nearly cases, the full time spent in the hospital is a few hours. Very immature children or those with other medical problems may stay longer.

Your kid may vomit a little on the day of the surgery or have a minor earache. Some children'due south ears volition pop when they burp, yawn, or chew. This should go away every bit the eardrum heals.

Ear tubes help prevent ear infections by allowing air into the middle ear. Other substances, such as water, may sometimes enter through the tube, but this is rarely a problem. Your surgeon might recommend earplugs for bathing or swimming.

Information technology'southward OK for your child to travel in airplanes later on having ear tubes placed. 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 demand 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 more often than not stays in the ear anywhere from six months to 18 months, depending on the blazon of tube used.

If the tube stays in the eardrum beyond 2 to iii years, though, your doctor might choose to remove it surgically.

Are There Any Risks From Ear Tube Surgery?

This is a very common and condom procedure, although at that place are risks with whatsoever surgery, including infection, bleeding, and problems with anesthesia.

Rarely, the hole in the eardrum does not shut after the tube comes out, and might need to be fixed surgically.

How Tin Parents Aid Subsequently Ear Tube Surgery?

If your kid's doctor prescribed hurting medicine and/or ear drops to employ subsequently the surgery, give them equally directed.
Your child can return to a regular diet at home, and can return to normal activities after a day of rest.
Yous might run into a small amount of fluid draining from the ears for a couple of days. Yous can place a clean cotton ball in the opening of each ear to catch the drainage, merely don't stick cotton swabs in the ears.
Your kid should avoid blowing his or her nose too difficult.

When Should I Call the Doctor?

Call the dr. if:

Your child tin can't continue whatsoever fluids down or keeps vomiting.
Your child develops a fever.
Your child has new ear hurting or hurting that doesn't go away with medicine.
The prescribed ear drops cause discomfort.
Ane or both of your kid'due south ears drain for more than 7 days after surgery.
Your child has yellowish-green ear drainage, or has a bad odor coming from the ear.
An ear tube falls out in the beginning few weeks.

See the doctor right away or get the emergency room if there is a lot of blood in the ear drainage or if the ear pain is astringent.