OT: Tubes in ears? **Updated in post 31**

[DavidandLeahZ]

Hi everyone,

We just found out our 3-year old needs to have tubes put in his ears. Can anyone tell me what to expect? (especially for him)?

- D

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

I had tubes in my ears when I was a boy Dave. I don't remember at all what it was like when I had them put in. Before I got them, I remember having ear aches all the time. The most traumatic thing for me was having to wear wax ear plugs and a bright orange swim cap when I was at the beach.

 

[jcb]

I completely disagree with Dave, ear tubes are a huge big deal and a major pain - so much so that you need to book DS another trip to WDW to compensate.

Seriously, DD had them a couple of times before she was 5 (she is now 18). The surgeries were over almost before I could sit down and open a magazine (this was pre-iPhone). It made a huge difference to her sinuses and ear aches. DS (24) had them too; he wore molded ear plugs.

The post-op instructions were sort of like fondue pot washing instructions, do not immerse in water. I don't recall showers being a problem, however.

 

[TexDisFan]

Will help tremendously with the ear problems. Make sure the physician explains which ear plugs are the right ones for your age child (for bath/shower - not swimming). We had this done to our 5 and 3 year old before our Disney trip. The doctor said they would have been miserable on the flight with the pressure changes if we did not have the procedure done. Everything went fine with both of them. Just ask the Dr. a lot of questions about what to do afterwards.

 

[DavidandLeahZ]

Will he be in pain post-op?

 

[cathie1327]

My younger brother had these when he was very little. He wasn't in pain after the surgery, and the only thing I remember differently was that he couldn't immerse them in water.

However, he was a little sensitive to loud noises, so we always kept some ear plugs on hand just in case!

 

[disneyholic family]

DD had them put in when she was 5 - they fell out when she was about 7...

they helped tremendously with her ear infections...and with her hearing (which had been impaired by the continuous fluid behind the eardrums)...

she wasn't in any pain at all afterwards...

the biggest pain was having to keep her ears out of water...

she had to wear those earplugs which she hated....

by the way, DD is now 24 and just had to have a new ear tube put into one of her eardrums....she again was having terrible problems with infections and fluid and intense pain....so they put a tube in.....it worked...
she no longer has pain in that ear (which she did before they put the tube in)...

 

[msabol01]

Both my kids have had multiple sets of ear tubes. The procedure is extrememly quick, less than 7 minutes. The recovery period can potentially be he hardest part depending on how your child responds to anesthesia (and the anesthesiologist). If possible, request one who specializes in pediactrics. We've noticed a significant difference when we had a particular doctor.

Once the anesthesia is fully metabolized and cleared of the system, all will be back to normal. Be sure to keep the ears clear of water and make use of good ear plugs. Also, we've noticed the kids don't have any pressure equalization problems while flying.

This procedure will be tougher on the parents then children.

 

[kkwis2]

My DS got tubes for the first time when he was not quite 2(he is now 7). I was very nervous about it. It ended up being SOOOO easy. As someone else said, very quick. They do not put them out for long at all. Literally a couple of minutes. Falling asleep and coming out of it takes longer than the actual surgery itself.

My son did not experience any pain afterwards. It made a huge difference in the number of ear infections he had and in his hearing.

Good luck! I hope all goes smoothly!

 

[DavidandLeahZ]

Oops- double post

 

[DavidandLeahZ]

How do they put them to sleep? Is it with an IV? I've had 2 c-sections, but have never been completely "out."
He's never had ear infections before, but has had a problem with fluid in his ears for the last few months. We started noticing him saying "What?" all the time(and he talks very loudly) and we realized he couldn't hear. He's now even walking up to people and introducing himself saying "My name is Jacob and I have fluid in my ears so I can't hear." It's funny, but also a little sad!
We tried medicine twice to dry up the fluid, but he's lost almost 40% of his hearing, so we don't want to wait any longer. Anyone have experience with how quickly their kids' ear problems were fixed after getting the tubes?
Thanks for the help everyone! We knew we could count on the DIS!
-L

 

[pal-mickey]

Two of my kids have had multiple sets of tubes when they where younger. My kids were given a medication called Versed via their nose before going into the OR. This helped to lessen their anxiety over leaving me. During the procedure they received gas. That is administered through a mask. They are not intubated at my hospital because the procedure is so short. I used to work in the recovery room and the thing I noticed is that some kids would wake up cranky. I think is because they feel weird because of the anesthesia but can't express that is words. I know my doctor gave the kids rectal suppositories of Tylenol before they woke up from surgery. I would suggest giving some Tylenol or Motrin when you get home so your child goesn't get the chance to be uncomfortable.
My kids ear infections decreased immediately, but the real help was going to an allergist were they were put on a anti-histamine to help with allergies. Hope this helped. Good luck!

 

[wilde_oscar]

tell them you have had reactions to anesthesia before... so they don't just open up and zonk you.

I had a lot of ear infections as a kid, but I also lived in water (swim team). Something I learned as I got closer to being an adult... when I get out of the shower, bath, swimming, etc. I drizzle a little rubbing alcohol in my ear. it helps dry out the water and kill the bacteria. havn't had ear problems since

 

[disneyholic family]

How do they put them to sleep? Is it with an IV? I've had 2 c-sections, but have never been completely "out."
He's never had ear infections before, but has had a problem with fluid in his ears for the last few months. We started noticing him saying "What?" all the time(and he talks very loudly) and we realized he couldn't hear. He's now even walking up to people and introducing himself saying "My name is Jacob and I have fluid in my ears so I can't hear." It's funny, but also a little sad!
We tried medicine twice to dry up the fluid, but he's lost almost 40% of his hearing, so we don't want to wait any longer. Anyone have experience with how quickly their kids' ear problems were fixed after getting the tubes?
Thanks for the help everyone! We knew we could count on the DIS!
-L

my daughter's hearing was also severely impaired by the fluid behind her eardrums, which is the reason we finally agreed to the tubes (when she was 5)....

the improvement seemed to be almost immediate....
as i recall, after the procedure we asked ourselves why we hadn't done it sooner....

 

[Hazzard101]

This was long ago 30 + years but when I had mine they made molded earplugs out of rubber that filled my entire ear. Do they do this still? If so it is impossible to get water in the ear while wearing these.

 

[teskak]

My daughter is on her second set of ear tubes - these ones are expected to stay in for about 3 years. We had 18 months out of the first set.

There is no need to be worried about the anaesthesia - as long as mum / dad are calm, child should be pretty good. The nurses put numbing cream on the iv site about 30 - 60 mins before surgery so the child does not feel the needle.

With the first surgery the anaesthist had me hold the gas mask over Emily's face while he made a big fuss of her and picked stickers out of a box - 20secs & she was out.

Similar for the second one, I gave some clues of a special holiday we were going on, so the nurses made a big fuss of the holiday while out of site the dr injected the drugs - 3secs & she was out. 1hr for recovery time & she was waking up again. We were out of hospital at lunch time & she wanted to go in the playground - so quickly was the medication metabolised.

 

[msabol01]

How do they put them to sleep? Is it with an IV?

All our procedures were with gas. When the kids were younger they also administered an oral sedative to calm the child a little. My daughter who is 8 just had another set put in a month ago and didn't need the oral. She mentioned the mask smelled of strawberries.

 

[DVCJones]

How do they put them to sleep? Is it with an IV? I've had 2 c-sections, but have never been completely "out."
He's never had ear infections before, but has had a problem with fluid in his ears for the last few months. We started noticing him saying "What?" all the time(and he talks very loudly) and we realized he couldn't hear. He's now even walking up to people and introducing himself saying "My name is Jacob and I have fluid in my ears so I can't hear." It's funny, but also a little sad!
We tried medicine twice to dry up the fluid, but he's lost almost 40% of his hearing, so we don't want to wait any longer. Anyone have experience with how quickly their kids' ear problems were fixed after getting the tubes?
Thanks for the help everyone! We knew we could count on the DIS!
-L

Hi L,

Both of my DDs had tubes. My youngest ahd a 2nd set put in last summer due to hearing loss. Like you, we noticed she was saying "what?" a lot. She would also tell us she couldn't hear us.

The Dr's will use a little scented gas to put them under. You will probably be asked to hold your child while they do this. This is the hardest part in that your child may be a little frightened about putting something over their face. You will feel sad while this is happening Just focus on how much better he will be once it is over. My DD's hearing went back to normal soon after the surgery.

Good luck!

 

[CinderellasSister]

Between my 2 kids, we've been through tube placement 5 times. It's a quick and simple process that will be over before you know it. Plus I used to work for 2 different ENT doctors, so I've seen alot of kids go through tubes. The best thing I can recommend is a product called "ear band-it". They have the absolute BEST tubes I've ever used, and even DH, who also still has to use ear plugs, swears by them. They were recommened to us by our ENT, and they are soooo much better then the wax ones from the pharmacy. Your DS will be fine, just be careful with him trying to walk right after you get home. He'll be a bit wobbly for a little while. But absolutely, even with a shower, put in the ear plugs! Having tubes will mean that his ear drum is open, and if water gets in to the inner ear, then he'll get sick to his stomach and headaches. Not a pretty sight at all!
Best of luck, and feel free to get in touch if you need any other info! Sending you all lots of pixie dust!

 

[aGoofyMom]

DD had hers put in a couple of years ago. They are still in - for now. Our hospital had a special person whose job it was to guide kids and their families through everything. Check to see if you can access a person like this - it was a HUGE difference. They brought in a group of about 10 kids for a pre-op tour. We sat in a board room to get an overview of the procedures. All were getting ear tubes, some tonsils out too. DD was also getting a cyst removed from the inside of her lip.

After the explanations, they took us on a tour of the day surgery ward and OR. At many spots all the kids were given a chance to hold and "try" the equipment from finger O2 monitors, to blood pressure cuffs the electrodes. By the time we got to the OR - DD was jumping up to be the first to try out the table She got to lay down and they had a mask for her to try on. For the iv - they put a numbing gel on their hands before inserting the needle.

By the time the day rolled around, we were sitting in the waiting area with an adult going in for day surgery. She was amazed at how calm DD was - the children's advocate escorts each child to the waiting area, and into the OR.
When she woke up, they brought me in right away, and she almost climbed out of the bed to me. The nurses helped me get her into my lap and we stayed like that until we went back up. Several popsicles later we were home and she was right as rain. We quickly found out we couldn't even whisper around her anymore.

Sorry to be soooo long winded but I LOVED having that one person at the hospital to take us through every step.

for an easy procedure!