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Home › Articles › Toddler Health › A Pain in the Ear

A Pain in the Ear

The Ins and Outs of Ear Tube Surgery

Part Two

By Teri Brown

Pages:  1  2  3  

Adults who need ear tubes can usually get away with a local anesthetic. Because the surgery is so precise, the patient must be very still during the operation. For children, the operation is best performed in an operating room with a light general anesthetic. The procedure is generally safe, though there are risks associated with administration of the anesthetic. However, all patients are monitored closely during the procedure.

The surgery itself usually takes about five minutes, and you can take your child home within a few hours. They are usually only asleep for a total of 15 minutes. Some children feel minimal discomfort afterward and are relieved by acetaminophen, while others require a more powerful pain reliever such as codeine.

Post-Surgery Care
Once home, make sure your child gets plenty of liquids, such as juice, gelatin, soups, etc. Your child can then go on his regular diet in the morning after surgery. Have your child rest and take it easy for the first 24 hours after surgery. After that, he should be able to return to his regular schedule should he feel up to it.

If any of the following problems occur, you should immediately call your child's otolaryngologist or pediatrician:

  • Ear pain that is not eliminated by giving the child non-aspirin pain reliever.
  • Bright red bleeding coming from inside the ear.
  • Trouble hearing.
  • A temperature higher than 101.5 degrees F. (It is normal after surgery for your child to have a low-grade fever.)
  • A bad smell or pus oozing from the ears.

After-surgery care includes making sure that water doesn't enter the ear canal. Ear tubes help prevent recurring ear infections by allowing air to ventilate the middle ear. But water can also enter the tubes, carrying bacteria and viruses, which can re-infect your child's ears. Always plug your child's ears during any water activity, such as swimming, bathing, showering, etc. Your pediatrician can provide you with information about earplugs and custom-made ear molds.

Dr. Mark A. Richardson, chair of department of otolaryngology for the Oregon Health and Science University, says that complications are infrequent, though it may cause problems when the tube is due to come out. "It can leave a hole in the eardrum after it comes out," he says. "It may also leave a scar in the eardrum after it extrudes the way it's supposed to and the eardrum heals."

Most of the time however, the hole heals without any problems, though sometimes bleeding occurs when the tubes are coming out. The use of eardrops usually stops the bleeding and allows the tubes to come out naturally.

In many cases, ear tubes only need to be put in once, but occasionally the cycle of ear infections return, and the procedure needs to be repeated several times.

For older children, discussing the surgery beforehand can help alleviate nervousness over the procedure. There are picture books available for children that can help them deal with any fears they might have. As for the parent, weighing the very small risk factor with the almost immediate relief most children get, having ear tubes put in doesn't seem like such a daunting prospect after all.

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