Ear Tube Placement in Adults

[Christine]

Has anyone here had an ear tube put in as an adult? I found out I have a retracted eardrum and this treatment was presented to me. The doctor said I could do it in-office or at the hospital with sedation but I could tell he was pulling for "in office." He did say it was kind of uncomfortable. But I couldn't get a sense of actually how bad it is. It would only be one ear. Thanks!

 

[disykat]

I hope someone here has had it done and can answer your question as to what it's like! I had it done as a child and it definitely involved the hospital. DH had an eardrum repair as an adult and it was done as a day surgery at the hospital too. That's a scary decision to have to make!

 

[Christine]

I hope someone here has had it done and can answer your question as to what it's like! I had it done as a child and it definitely involved the hospital. DH had an eardrum repair as an adult and it was done as a day surgery at the hospital too. That's a scary decision to have to make!

Thanks! The doctor acted like it wasn't a huge deal for an adult to have it done in office and he seemed to prefer that as much as one can tell and, of course, I've been googling and most ENT sites that discuss it pretty much state that adults are done in the office. I guess there is the option of the hospital if one is really freaked out about it. Since going into the hospital, the IV, and all that stuff gets my anxiety going, I'm not too bugged about the in-office procedure, but I'd love some personal experience on the discomfort level.

 

[Pooh2]

My kids all had several sets each done in a surgical center.
They were only under for a couple of minutes but I cannot imagine doing that while awake!

 

[Christine]

My kids all had several sets each done in a surgical center.
They were only under for a couple of minutes but I cannot imagine doing that while awake!

Yeah, I know why they put kids under (because they squirm). I've had a lot of awful things done to me "in office" and trying to figure out how this ranks, lol!! I probably need to find an "ear" forum of sorts. Probably not a common procedure for an adult.

 

[SharonZ]

I had tubes put in my ears as an adult, it was done in the office with numbing solution in my ears.

 

[SC Minnie]

My mother had tubes put in a couple of years ago. It was done in the office and she had no issues.

 

[Christine]

My mother had tubes put in a couple of years ago. It was done in the office and she had no issues.

That's really good to hear!

 

[NotUrsula]

Local anesthesia works well for ear procedures, you wouldn't feel anything. You may, however, hear the work being done; instruments moving around inside the ear seem very loud.

 

[focusondisney]

My mother also had it done in the office when she was in her mid 80s. The Dr used a numbing spray & she didn’t really have any discomfort. He did use suction to remove some of the fluid as he placed the tube. She was pretty well deaf but did think that was loud. So I’m sure it will be very loud for someone with normal hearing.

 

[Communicore1991]

Local anesthesia works well for ear procedures, you wouldn't feel anything. You may, however, hear the work being done; instruments moving around inside the ear seem very loud.

I had ear tubes placed as a child but to the quoted post, when I recently went to my ear doctor the sound of her metallic instruments near my ear just to look seemed very loud and made me wince quite a bit. I'm also sensitive to noise (hate fireworks, balloon popping, etc.).

I guess it depends on how you've felt with the ear doctor so far. If you've been very squirmy and not too thrilled with it, you may want to go to the hospital. If you weren't fazed by anything going on, I'd do it in office.

 

[Christine]

I had ear tubes placed as a child but to the quoted post, when I recently went to my ear doctor the sound of her metallic instruments near my ear just to look seemed very loud and made me wince quite a bit. I'm also sensitive to noise (hate fireworks, balloon popping, etc.).

I guess it depends on how you've felt with the ear doctor so far. If you've been very squirmy and not too thrilled with it, you may want to go to the hospital. If you weren't fazed by anything going on, I'd do it in office.

Generally I do pretty well with in-office procedures. The ENT did tell me it could be uncomfortable and more so than the nasal camera he used to look down to my larynx. That was pretty uncomfortable but I managed. I also had an injection into a cyst on my index finger that the orthopedic doctor told me would be awful and it wasn't. The only in-office procedure I ever had to cut short was a sigmoidoscopy. That was brutal, IMO. But others do fine with it.

I'll probably go the in-office route. I know the hospital would be painless but then it's a whole thing: get admitted, IV, hours there, etc.

 

[Communicore1991]

Generally I do pretty well with in-office procedures. The ENT did tell me it could be uncomfortable and more so than the nasal camera he used to look down to my larynx. That was pretty uncomfortable but I managed. I also had an injection into a cyst on my index finger that the orthopedic doctor told me would be awful and it wasn't. The only in-office procedure I ever had to cut short was a sigmoidoscopy. That was brutal, IMO. But others do fine with it.

I'll probably go the in-office route. I know the hospital would be painless but then it's a whole thing: get admitted, IV, hours there, etc.

The fact they're not putting you under general anesthesia would make me more comfortable doing it in office. When I was younger, my parents had the option of a surgery center or hospital. They chose the hospital as if there was an issue while I was sedated, resources would be there. Whereas at a surgery center they would have to call an ambulance and transport to the hospital. More anecdotal rationale for others who may read this thread and have a slightly different choice to make especially if it's for a child.