Ear Tubes

Hi everyone -

So Kyra has been battling constant ear infection since last fall, we are on #7 since Thanksgiving, and we are going to see an audiologist and the ear, nose and throat Dr. tomorrow.  This is just a consultation, but her pediatrician thinks it is time to do tubes.  Have any of you had to deal with this, if so what should I expect of the whole expirience?  Even though it is a simple surgery I am still a little worried about it.

[waitingwithhope]

My son had tubes in his ears due to many ear infections. It was an operation, but a quick and simple one. He was in and out the same day and just had pain meds for a few days. The tubes did the trick and drained the fluid and the tubes came out on their own (they usually fall out on a pillow). It is totally worth the surgery and by the time the tubes had fallen out, he had "outgrown" most of the bad ear infections. Later on when he was older, he got his tonsils and adenoids (adenoids) removed...not sure if it was connected or not to his previous ear infections and the fact he's had trouble in the area, but it was another surgery that also went well.

[kylesMom09]

They have also talked about taking her adnoids out at the same time.  So it must all be related somehow, but i juust don't know how :)

[waitingwithhope]

It might be worth it to do it all at once if you think it is the way to go...my son was 2 when he got the tubes in and was 12 when he got his next operation...it was a very quick recovery when he was 2- when he was 12 it was a longer recovery- I wish we had done it all at once!

[Crritter]

Lots of Dr's do them now, I think many do them after 3 ear infections in a year- Cam had 16 in 10 months- yes, it was rough & many were double ear infections.  He would be on meds then a few days in the other ear would get infected, he would get off the meds & they would get infected.  I begged for the tubes, but our ped felt the infections were due to bad acid reflux & that even with tubes would be getting infections.  He outgrew them once we got everything under control,  I can say most of the kiddos at daycare that got them did great, Good luck, I would do it had I gotten the chance!

[AnnieBrooke]

My nephew had them and they worked very well.  Besides the issue of trying to combat the constant infections, their concern was that the constantly clogged ears would muffle his hearing and be a problem with learning language at the stage of development he was in.