tubes in her ears??

Question

My daughter is 20 months.

She currently has a double ear infection and she has had 7 ear infections total since she was born.

Her doctor wants to see her in 2 weeks so they can discuss putting tubes in her ears.

Has anyone else's child ever had this done?

What should I ask the doctor when I go back? Anything I need to know?

Answer 1

My son had it done a year ago (he will be 2 on Sunday). He never had an ear infection until he was 7 months old and then had one right after another. THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE THING THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE!!! I swear by it. It was hard seeing him cry after waking up from the surgery, that was tough, but oh so worth it. NO MORE PAIN!!!!
You have to keep the water out of them if she gets them. They say to wear ear plugs or cotton balls. We started that but it didn't last long. A year later they are still there so I don't think you have to be "that" careful about it. (But I'm referring to rinsing hair in the bathtub not swimming.) Good luck!!!

Answer 2

My son got tubes when he was 6 months old. He too had multiple infections. Some were so bad that he was on the strongest antibiotic that they could give. The Dr wanted to try them just to see if they would help, and they did.

As for the tubes being put in, there's nothing too it. The whole procedure is maybe 20 minutes long. I think the worst part about it is when they wake up from the anastasia. That and when the get put under. I was able to hold on to him so I could help keep him calm. He was ok I wasn't. I was a water faucet. (not sure why though)
Any way, the tubes are so tiny that you'll never see them, even when they fall out.
And since he's had his, he's only had 1 ear infection. They work!

However... if I were you I would ask the Dr about the time line for the tubes to fall out. My son is going to be 5 in June, and STILL has a tube in. I'm to the point that I want the Dr to take it out, but she said that it will fall out on it's own. Only problem we've been having is it seems to hurt him when we clean his ears, or even when the Dr looks in his ears for a check up. She said that there is wax building behind it as well, and that will push it out in time.

But still I would check to see when or even if the dr would pull them out if the tube or tubes were close enough to do so. If your Dr is like mine they just might let it take is course.

Hope this helps, and makes sense.

Answer 3

My daughter went through the same thing. Ear infection after ear infection and so many missed days off of work and school I really thought I was going to loose my job and fail my senior year of college.
The ENT was excellent. He placed tubes in both of her ears in a matter of 45 minutes to make sure she wasn't sedated too long and even came and spoke to me but also offered to call my mother to explain things to her as well.
Unfortunatly she did continue to have infections in one ear about 3 months after the surgery but found that the tube hadn't remained intact and he went in to place another tube and at the same time he removed her tonsils and adnedoids. My daughter then 3 now almost 6 has been ear infection and congestion free for close to 3 years now.
I understand that there is new studies out that tubes aren't always the answer, but I swear by them in situations like this.

Answer 4

Have you been keeping his ears dry with plugs when he takes a bath? Maybe some water got in there, that would cause another infection. My son had tubes 3 times, he had really small eschution (sp) tubes so his ears would not drain very well. Doc said they usually grow with him, and they have gotten a little bigger with time. Call the doc before it gets any worse and have him fitted for good ear plugs if you haven't already. They are about $10 at the ENT docs office. Good luck to ya. It's hard to have a little one in pain!!

Answer 5

Tubes can help with ear infections because they:

* Allow air to enter the middle earClick here to see an illustration..
* Allow fluid to flow out of the middle ear through the tube into the ear canal.
* Clear fluid from the middle ear and restore hearing.
* Prevent future buildup of fluid in the middle ear while they are in place.
* Decrease the feeling of pressure in the ears, which lessens pain.

They are usually inserted in an outpatient surgery clinic. Children usually recover quickly and have little pain or other symptoms after surgery.

Follow-up visits to the doctor are very important. The doctor checks to see whether the tubes are working and whether the child's hearing has improved.

While the tubes are in place, the child needs to take extra care. Wearing earplugs while bathing or swimming will help keep water out of the ear canal. Swimming in a chlorinated pool is generally safe, because the water is relatively clean. However, water in lakes, ponds, rivers, and even the bathtub may contain bacteria. Children should not dunk their heads under the water. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Tubes normally remain in the ears for 6 to 12 months. They often fall out on their own as the eardrum grows. If the tubes don't fall out on their own, your child may need surgery to remove them. After the tubes are out, watch your child for ear infections and fluid behind the eardrum.

After the procedure, ask the doctor for specific care instructions for your child. Though risks are minimal, I suggest you ask the doctor what risks may be involved with the surgery as well as while the tubes are in the ears. Otherwise, this is a common practice and very helpful for your childs hearing.

Answer 6

My daughter had ear infections from early infancy. I would take her to her pediatrician and of course he would prescribe antibiotics.
The only problem was, as soon as she would finish her antibiotics, 1 or 2 wks later, she'd get another ear infection. It was awful. Her doctor kept telling me that she would grow out of it. This went on until she was 4 years old, and the doctor finally referred us to an ENT specialist. He suggested the tubes.
It was a day surgery at the Childrens Hospital and after her operation, (she also had her tonsils taken out) we took her home.
It was the best thing that we ever did for her! No more ear infections ! By the way, the tubes will help your daughters ears drain properly and eventually, they fall out by themselves.
Don't worry it will be okay.
Go for it !

Answer 7

My son had this done when he was about 4 years old for hearing reasons, but I do know alot of kids whom have had it done for constant ear infection reasons as well. This is a very common operation, I'm sure if you start talking to other moms out there, you'll see what I mean. I was unsure like you when my son needed them too. It is a very quick and simple operation. It only takes about 5 - 10 minutes to actually do. The only reason they have to go under anaesthetic is because it can be very painful when they put them in. Don't worry though they are completely fine afterward!! My son acted like he had nothing done later that day, except he was a little more tired than usual.
My advise start talking to other moms.

Answer 8

I've had tubes 7 times in my life and as a matter of fact I'm 43 and i have them in now.
Its good at allowing drainage especially in children. Most grow out of it by the time they're 13. I had them 4 times between ages 7 and 11. I went almost 20 years without problems and I had to get them again when I was 33.
Its no big deal for a kid.

Answer 9

Your doctor is correct - he/she is following the appropriate guidelines for the use of "ear tubes" - they work great - both my brothers had them when they were little and they worked very well. If the child gets recurrent infections - it could affect their hearing - so ear tubes are a good thing.


The physician at the site below does a good job of explaining the guidelines.

Answer 10

fee for doctors ,use of or ,anasthesia,2 nurses might be 3000 dollars,the infections will likely recur.theyve probably already tried antibiotics.that didn't work,feeding tootywootums with yer onboard mealservice might clear it up,the goop in her ear canal acts like a bacteria & maybe candida albicans trapper. docs repeatedly prescribe antibacterials that kill beneficial & harmless cooties that would otherwise displace nasty pathogens,.knock yeast,sugar,dairy out of her diet,don't use plastics;.there also might be one food in her diet(it sounds like ya feed her people food) that is a trigger for her symptoms.maybe lamb,chicken,eggs..one clue would be an increase in pulse rate 30 to 45 minutes after eating,skin color changes.an md with membership in american academy of environmental medicine(aaem ) could do a better & cheaper job than the people you describe.your insurance company probably doesn't recognize aaem as a referral .aaem has been around for 30 years or so,they don't share their data or clinical techniqes and formulas;ask your doctors about them ,and you"ll get treated like a dead mouse.do a good job with lil snookums.she will grow up to be a strong care giver in your old age.aaem docs charge something like 1000 to 1200 $ for initial visit(might take 2 or 3 hrs for him to look at long health history,allergy tests);this money will be out of pocket,and probably your insurance won"t pay for it.