Few things are as painful and disorienting as an ear infection. When your child has repeated ear infections, you’d do anything to make them stop. If your child has frequent ear infections that are long-lasting or don’t clear up with antibiotics, ear tubes might be a good solution for you.
At UVA Health Children’s, we perform many ear tube surgeries. Ear tube insertion is one of the most common childhood surgeries. But it’s not the right option for everyone. Our ear, nose, and throat specialists can help you understand your child’s options and figure out if ear tube surgery is right for your child.
Getting Ear Tube Surgery at UVA Health Children’s
First, we’ll meet with you and your child. During this meeting, we’ll talk through your child’s health history and take a look at their ears. Your child is a good candidate for ear tubes if they:
- Get frequent ear infections
- Have had fluid in their middle ear for 3-4 months
- Have chronic ear infections that don’t improve with antibiotics
Other factors are harder to pin down. If your child’s ear infections caused these or other extreme symptoms, they may also be a good candidate for ear tube surgery:
- Speech delay
- Hearing problems
- Balance issues
It’s also important to not wait on ear tubes if your child is already at risk for a speech delay or hearing loss. We urge choosing ear tubes sooner if your child:
- Is at a higher risk of cerebral palsy or autism spectrum disorder
- Has a cleft palate
- Has Down syndrome
Children with these conditions are especially harmed by ear infections.
What Happens During the Ear Tube Procedure?
After you and your doctor have decided ear tubes are the best option, we’ll schedule your child for surgery.
Before surgery, your child is given anesthesia. Then a small hole is made in their eardrum. A tube is put in the eardrum to allow fluid to drain out.
This surgery only takes about 20 minutes for both ears. Most of the time, your child is able to go home the same day.
Compassionate Surgical Care
For many children, ear tubes are their first surgery. This can be a scary time. Read about surgery at UVA Health Children's and how we help kids feel safe before and after the procedure.
Follow-Up
We’ll want to see your child shortly after surgery. After that, we’ll see your child every 4-6 months.
Depending on your child’s situation, we may also recommend they see one of our audiologists. The audiologist can test how well your child hears. If these infections happened while your child was still an infant or toddler, their hearing may be affected. If so, speech therapy can help your child catch up.
Ear Tube Frequently Asked Questions
Many questions and answers are dependent on your unique situation and are best asked of your doctor. But here are some of the most asked questions.
Will my kid keep getting ear infections after the procedure?
Ear tubes help reduce the risk of ear infections, but nothing can completely prevent them. Children get more ear infections than adults because the parts inside their ears called eustachian tubes are very small. Adding ear tubes prevents fluid from building up and causing pressure.
Does getting ear tubes hurt?
It can be uncomfortable for a few days after the procedure. Depending on your child’s age, your doctor may recommend medication to help manage the pain.
Will the ear tubes be in there forever?
Most of the time, the ear tubes naturally fall out at around they’ve been in for 2 years.
Is it gross when the ear tube falls out?
No. Ear tubes are very small. When they fall out, they tend to get stuck on a little bit of earwax. Then, at the next doctor’s appointment where your child’s ears are examined, we can just swipe it out. But even if it fell out and you saw it, it wouldn’t look particularly gross.
Will my child need to get new ear tubes?
Not usually. After the age of 5, the natural ear tube becomes larger and fluid buildup stops being as much of a problem. For most kids, a single set of tubes buys them enough time.
What if my child’s ear tubes don’t fall out?
If your child’s ear tubes haven’t fallen out after 3 years, then we’ll discuss removing them. The procedure to remove them is very simple. Once the ear tubes are out, your child’s ear drums will heal normally.
Will my child be able to go swimming?
After the healing period, your child can bathe, shower, swim, or jump around in the sprinkler. Before they’re healed, we recommend minimizing water time and wearing earplugs for baths.
Will my child have issues with hearing?
Probably not, but there may be some hearing loss. This can happen after repeat ear infections or, rarely, as a complication of surgery.