Please tell me what is involved in getting ear tubes...

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Looks like we are heading down this road with DD. She is 19 months old and is being referred to an ENT Dr.

Will she be put under?

How long will it take?

Will she be in pain after?

Thanks, I know there are some parents on this board that are much more experienced here than me

 

[jess98ac]

I'm a new parent, so haven't been through with a child, but went through it AS a child.

I had them 6 times from under age 1 through age 12ish.

I don't know the exact answers to your questions, but I can tell you that even back then, I was home within hours of the operation, and the only part of it I remember is the gas mask, and it petrified me enough to scream about it the next time I had to have it. BUT - I can also tell you that it made my life so much easier to not have to deal with constant ear aches.

 

[KEVD]

My son has tubes put in when he was 5. It is a very common procedure and the whole ordeal was quite easy for him.


Will she be put under?
Yes


How long will it take?
I believe the procedure itself only takes about 10 mins. You'll spend much more time waiting to be called in.


Will she be in pain after?
My son was not in any pain afterwards. He was just a bit groggy for a while. Some children do get scared when the first wake up from the anesthesia.

 

[jcc0621]

DS (almost 5) had tubes put in when he was about 16 months old. He had an ear infection a month from the time he was 3 months old

The whole procedure took about 10 minutes. It took longer for the medication to relax him to kick in than the actaul procedure.

He had no pain afterwards, at least as far as I could tell. Our doctor instructed us to give him Tylenol that night just to be on the safe side but to play it by ear (no pun intended) the following day. He never needed it after that first night. We were given ear drops that we had to put in for I think 4 or 5 days afterwards, but that was it.


Hope this eases some of your worry. It is stressful, especailly if it your first child like it was for us.

 

[KelleyD]

OK so my son just got them at 12 months - he is now 16 months and only has had 1 ear infection since - and that was only 1 ear. Huge improvement over constant double ear infections...

Will she be put under?

Yes. But i believe the time they are under is less then 5 minutes or so. Between being wheeled away, tubes put in, and waking in the recovery room, it all totaled about 15 mins.

Will she be in pain after?

Hard to say. My son was screaming, they say that is a common effect on young kids who go under. He seemed really ok at first, I gave him a bottle of juice to make sure he could keep stuff down. Then after about 20 minutes the crying started.
We had a 45 minute car ride home and my boy screamed almost the entire way. I really think alot of it was gas. He would fall asleep, wake up screaming, pass gas then try to fall alseep again.
After we finally got home, he went right for a nap and was a new boy when he woke up...

Good luck.

 

[PenguinWaiters]

Hi,

My DD had them this past Feb when she was 3.

Will she be put under? Yes. We were all nervous about this, but they gave her something first (liquid) that really mellowed her out. After that, she was fine going with the nurses.

How long will it take? As PP said - very quick - about 10 mins. - maybe less. We stayed with her in pre-op, went to the waiting room when they took her, sat down and our name was called.

Will she be in pain after? Our DD didn't have any pain. BUT, be prepared. She was VERY out of it coming out of the anesthesia - yelling and crying - and it was hard to deal with. BUT, she doesn't remember any of that, and the nurses said that was very typical. She has no bad memories of this procedure - they gave her a popsicle and a stuffed animal so she thinks it was great fun. Plus, we could tell a difference in her hearing right away, which was interesting since we really hadn't noticed an issue before. We had her hearing tested and they told us it was dimished due to persistent fluid, but we really hadn't noticed.

Good luck! Know that it will be SO much harder on you than on your DD!

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

I'm a new parent, so haven't been through with a child, but went through it AS a child.

I had them 6 times from under age 1 through age 12ish.

I don't know the exact answers to your questions, but I can tell you that even back then, I was home within hours of the operation, and the only part of it I remember is the gas mask, and it petrified me enough to scream about it the next time I had to have it. BUT - I can also tell you that it made my life so much easier to not have to deal with constant ear aches.

So strange... I could have written this post, literally. I also went through this but I don't really remember a whole lot except the smell from that darn gas mask.

I just didn't really remember the process and I thought for some reason it was a lot simpler now, 20 years later.

 

[mrstomrice]

It was so quick! They used gas for our DS when he was 9 months. We were called into recovery quickly. He did cry for about 20 minutes afterwards, but not out of pain. He was disoriented from the anesthesia. He was fine the rest of the day. He needed a 2nd set of tubes about 9 months later, so they also took out his adnoids. He was out under by IV for that procedure. That also went very well!
One side note...his speech picked up immensely following each procedure! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Good luck! It's harder on you than it is on them

 

[Maggie'sMom]

My daughter had them put in at 19 months.

Will she be put under?

Yes

How long will it take?

The actual surgery takes about 10-15 minutes. They had us bring DD back to a room around 7:15. They gave her a seditive to drink. It didn't put her out, but made her very loopy. She was going to be given a general anesthesia for the surgery. They carried her back to the OR a little before 7:30. We went to the waiting room. Around 7:45, they came out to tell us the surgery was done. We had to wait until she started to wake up before they'd bring us back to see her. That was just another 5 minutes or so. She was pretty ticked off when she woke up. I cuddled with her and they gave her some apple juice and goldfish to eat. We were on our way home before 8:30. Word of warning, she threw up the apple juice and goldfish, which they warned us would happen. Unfortunately, it went all over the carseat. I'd recommend you bring a towel to drape over her just in case.

Will she be in pain after?

She really wasn't in any pain, but she slept for probably 4 hours. When she woke up she was fine.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Thank you all so much!!! You have eased my mind

I would love to continue to hear about other small children's experiences.

 

[5 for WDW]

Both of my sons had multiple sets of ear tubes. My oldest had his first set put in at 2. My middle son was 1.

As everyone else said, Yes they do go under. The sedative before (if your hospital does that, some don't. It makes a big difference) helps with being wheeled away from Mom and Dad.

My boys were gone for about one hour from the time they were taken into the OR until they got out of recovery. Our ENT has them monitored in the recovery room for 30 minutes after the procedure.

We usually went home about 2 hours after that. Pain free. Just groggy from being put under.

We were also given ear drops. We had to put cotton balls in their ears for baths with Vaseline on the outside of the cotton ball. It prevents water from going in the ear. We had to do that for the first week each time. They also had to wear ear plugs, fitted by the ENT for swimming until the tubes came out.

Ear tubes made a world of difference in both of my sons. Good luck if you have to go this route. I promise it is worse for the parents then it is for the child.

 

[bumbershoot]

For me it didn't do much, but I don't remember what it was like.

But since you're just putting a surgical hole in the eardrum to avoid a non-surgical hole happening, I just don't see the point.



And if I were in your shoes, I would look for alternatives before surgery. Gentle chiropractic care is incredible for ear issues in children. The first cervical vertebra is right there next to the tubes and nerves going into the area, and if it's out of place by a tiny little bit, it's impacting those things, and will cause ear problems. You can't imagine how many children who have been on antibiotics for years, for continued ear "infections", find absolute relief once their parents finally take them to gentle chiropractors.

I'd seek that out asap, before going through with it!

 

[ceiligh1]

My son had his first set of ear tubes at about 18 months. As the previous posters have said it is fairly simple but still scary for us parents. It took about 15 min total and then he was back with us. He was screaming very loud and the anestheiologist (sp?) said that some children react to a specific type this way and to be sure to tell the next anestheiologist before he has surgery again. The surgery really helped to cut down on the ear aches and give my son his hearing back as he could not hear anything. He didnt seem to be in pain after the surgery but he hated to have the drops in his ears thankfully that only lasted a few days. And our doctor said that no ear plugs were needed for swimming/baths.

My son had a second set of tubes put in this year at about 2.5 years old. He had his adenoids and tonsils out as well and they had him stay overnight in the hospital after that. Luckly they used a different anesthia and no screaming this time. He can now hear and he hasnt had an infection since

Good luck!

 

[dreamin_disney]

For me it didn't do much, but I don't remember what it was like.

But since you're just putting a surgical hole in the eardrum to avoid a non-surgical hole happening, I just don't see the point.



And if I were in your shoes, I would look for alternatives before surgery. Gentle chiropractic care is incredible for ear issues in children. The first cervical vertebra is right there next to the tubes and nerves going into the area, and if it's out of place by a tiny little bit, it's impacting those things, and will cause ear problems. You can't imagine how many children who have been on antibiotics for years, for continued ear "infections", find absolute relief once their parents finally take them to gentle chiropractors.

I'd seek that out asap, before going through with it!

I've heard positive thing, My/dd chiro said "God gave us tubes and we should use the tubes he gave us. Sometimes they just need to be unblock


Heres my dd story of ear pressure and tubes
My dd is now 9 years old. We struggled with ear pressure since she was 3 1/2 but i'm sure she had it since her delivery(forceps were used then had to have c-section because forceps didnt work). She's been with her ENT since age 4-5. First we tried nasel spray-didnt work. Then Ent suggested putting a tube in her ear. She did really good when they put the probe in her ear to cleanout the wax, so he thought doing an in office procedure would be better than surgery. Well i asked if it would hurt and he said "NO", they put a cotton in her ear to numb it. Well not sure if the nurse did it right but dd yelled out in pain like i've never seen before(even lets dentist work on her w/o problems). I was concerned. We waited after it numbed and Dr. proceded but I could tell dd was very uncomfortable, so we knew to stop because I was about to jump off my chair(thank goodness i was in the room). He said he was unable to put the tube in but made a lil hole to help release pressure(forgot the name of procedure). Afterward I asked dd if she could feel anything and she said yes the (nurse)numbing cotton felt like a bee went right through her ear. With the ENT she said she felt uncomfortable like there was a heartbeat in her ear and she could feel it. Very good descrition for a 5 year old.

Anyways it did help her untill it closed up. The Dr. finally suggested Surgery. Iwas very scared But this was much better then the first prodecure. After the surgery she was crying and kicking but thats was her coming out of the meds. She was 8 during this surgery.The tube only stayed in 9 months, 2 weeks later pressure was back. I've heard people do fine after tubes fall out. I think dd just might be a special case. ENT said she's just one of those cases we can wait until she get a lil older and maybe her ear will correct it self or do the surgery again but because she is 9 the insurance might naot pay because shes old enough to do the procedure in the offecie. I reminded him of the first time and said no way!!!! If tubes go in it will be surgery. That appt was in April 08 , ENT refered her to allergist to see if thats causeing the pressure. 66 pricks and dd was very allergic to lots of stuff. She was given a nasel spray and two pills to take everyday and was told she may need 3 shot per week if meds dont help.

so i decide to take her to a chiropractor that i heard good things of and has helped other kids. We went one month ago and she was out of alighment in her cervical vertebra . She had only one treatment and has held her adjustment. She loved it Chiro used a tool thingy (palmer method). Not sure if it helped the pressure because her ENT appt isnt until next month
1. I stopped all allergy meds and she doesnt need them. The week before her allergy appt she had to stop all allergy meds clartin/zurtec. She was miserable itchy eyes,nose ears she even would ask for meds.
Since her adjustment (its been a month) she only needed zurtec once because she went to her nanas and the dogs make her break out in hives. She did but not as bad.

My point for going on and on is we've tried the chiro and he feels confident. I've had bad sinus and my ears were hurting and feeling full. I was even going to make appt with ENT. Since my adjustments My sinus and ears feel better. Things even sound louder.

I'm really hoping that next months appt will clear dd of pressure, if so her ENT will be shocked. When he had no more answers theres was no more hope . But my chiro gave me hope again. Personally if i could go back i would have done this sooner.

 

[dreamin_disney]

opps forgot to post this. After surgery or even now dont let water get in the ears. Dr. told me about these putty buddies. DD loves these and she can now do it herself i dont even have to remind her. The floating one are good to for swimming. When dd was 4 i bought several pair. Just last week I bought a couple floatable ones and 2 extra for her cousins with ear problems.
good on windy days too
earbandit
http://www.earbandit.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=3

 

[tlbwriter]

But since you're just putting a surgical hole in the eardrum to avoid a non-surgical hole happening, I just don't see the point.

In my DD's case, there was definitely a point. She had fluid in her ears even when she didn't have an infection - I believe they referred to it as sterile fluid - because her eustachian tubes were curved abnormally (she inherited that from her daddy, lucky girl). Her ENT said that in cases like hers (he'd seen several), tubes were really the only thing that could help, because the only problem was that her ears could not drain normally. After the procedure, she stopped using her pacifier as often (she'd been using it to relieve pressure) and her vocabulary grew by leaps and bounds. And when she did have an infection, we were able to keep an eye on the drainage to see what was going on, and antibiotics were usually not needed.

A surgical hole is small and relatively painless, and stays open longer. A non-surgical hole is a larger tear, comes as the end result of a painful process, and will heal over, only to return again. Tubes are not the answer for everyone, but if your child really does need them, no amount of chiropractic care will do the trick.

Also, if you're concerned about general anesthesia, it can be done with local instead, though you may have to search for a doctor who is experienced.

 

[LisaNJ25]

For me it didn't do much, but I don't remember what it was like.

But since you're just putting a surgical hole in the eardrum to avoid a non-surgical hole happening, I just don't see the point.



And if I were in your shoes, I would look for alternatives before surgery. Gentle chiropractic care is incredible for ear issues in children. The first cervical vertebra is right there next to the tubes and nerves going into the area, and if it's out of place by a tiny little bit, it's impacting those things, and will cause ear problems. You can't imagine how many children who have been on antibiotics for years, for continued ear "infections", find absolute relief once their parents finally take them to gentle chiropractors.

I'd seek that out asap, before going through with it!

I have 2 children with them because of hearing loss due to fluid. The tubes have made huge difference. Neither of them had issues with chronic ear infections.

 

[kloei423]

Good morning! The tubes were wonderful for my DD2 he got them at 8 months old. Had chronic earaches that sent us to the ENT to find out he basically could not hear. He had so much fluid behind his eardrum that there was absolutely no vibration on the test. I was so sad to think that all he heard were muffled noises. He also did not sleep thru the night, not a single night despite trying the cry it out and every other thing we tried. We went to the hospital. the dr met with us. he does not speak english well but he is a wondeful dr. who actually had previously removed my husbands tonsils, but anyway. he explained the procedure like this... we take him to the room, give him whiffy, whiffy, turn his head this way, turn his head that way, take him to recovery and you come back... they took him from me, I sat down in the waiting room, used the bathroom, sat back down and the dr. was sitting beside me telling me it was all done and they would be out to get me. he no sooner left than they came and got me, he was crying and would not stop. i went back picked him up, he stopped crying. ate a graham cracker and apple juice and we left. luckily he did not throw up in the car although i was warned it could happen. That night he slept thru the night and has every night since then... He speech developed very quickly. I believe the tubes are out now, as the last appt 3 months ago, he saw one in the canal and the other looked like it was moving since there was blood around it. I will know for sure on the 31st as that is our next appt. Hopefully he won't need them again, however I would not hesitate to do it if he does.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Had chronic earaches that sent us to the ENT to find out he basically could not hear. He had so much fluid behind his eardrum that there was absolutely no vibration on the test. I was so sad to think that all he heard were muffled noises.

This is how it was for my DD too. At 15 months, she had had 3 ear infections. Her vocabulary was far behind other kids her age. I told her pediatrician that I was concerned about how she wasn't talking nearly as much as other kids in her room at daycare. He gave me a speech about how kids develop at different rates and I shouldn't compare DD to other kids. I should have pressed the issue then, but thought if he wasn't concerned about it, maybe I was overreacting. Well, 3 months and 2 more ear infections later, they finally tested her ears and found that there was so much fluid behind the eardrum that it wasn't vibrating like it should. The fluid was never draining. We were referred to an ENT who told us she was hearing like her head was underwater. After the surgery, the ENT said the fluid had been behind her ears so long that it had the consistency of glue.

Within about 2 weeks after surgery, her vocabulary exploded. She started talking up a storm, and I don't think has shut up since. She inherited her dad's talking gene which means it's nonstop from the time she gets up in the morning until she goes to bed at night. I also noticed that her balance improved after the surgery. She'd been a little bit of a klutz but I didn't think too much about it until after the surgery when she suddenly wasn't stumbling and falling as much as she had been.

And she has never once had an ear infection since the tubes were put in. She's almost 5 now. Both tubes have long since fallen out and the holes healed. Plus, because of this issue and a couple others, we now have a new pediatrician.

 

[dzone1]

My son was doing laps around the house no longer than an hour to an hour &1/2 after the procedure.