2 Year Old Having Tubes Put in and Need Some Advice

My daughter was 3 1/2 when she gots her in and her language has greatly improved and has not had an ear infection since being placed. I say the younger the better and it was over in 10 minutes and when we were finally released she acted like nothing ever happened. My dr. told us to treat her like before she had the tubes.

K.,
Don't worry, you will be glad you had the tubes put in. They are tiny and the hole heals up with no problem. Both my boys had tubes at the same time 4+ and 18 months and infections dropped dramatically (and hearing improved!). The older boy had tubes a second time and ended up having his adnoids removed.
Both boys are fine now with no ill effects.
Rest easy, you're doing the right thing. Regards, J.

My son was about 15mo. when he got them. The worst part is when they go under. But it is over so quick, you go to sit down and the Dr. is out telling you he's done and it went great. They cry for a few minutes when they wake up and then you go home. No ear plugs for bath time or swimming. They fell out about a year later(we didnt even notice)and never had to have them in again.

I don't have expereince with a youngster - but I had to have tubes put in my ears last year (at 45!). Since I was an adult they used a local anestetic(sp). After I was numb they put a hole in my eardrum - sucked fluid out and then put the tubes in. My hearing was so acute after that - I could even hear the light rain falling. In otherwords - your son's hearing will be better than it ever was afterwards.

K.,

My daughter had tubes done when she was 18 months. It is a very quick, painless procedure. We had it done at Yale, they were great. They gave her a small seditive before the prosedure becase she did not want to go to anybody but me. It was worth it, it helped all of us. It was about a 10 minute procedure.

The hard part I was not prepared for was coming out of anestesia. They are very dioriented and combative most of the time. Many children cry. After about a half hour she was fine. They gave her something to drink and we went home with ear drop for three days. It was as if nothing really happened.

The tubes will fall out themselves in a year. Of course as soon as they did she had an ear infection. She did not have a single one with the tubes in.

It was all very worth it!

Good luck!
M.

Hi K.,
My daughter had tubes put in her ears when she was 18 months old. The procedure took about 10 minutes and she was out for about 15 minutes. After the procedure expect some bleeding from the ears, that is normal. Hopefully, the tubes will work and your son will not suffer from any more ear infections. They worked for my daughter. Two years later, they had to be surgically removed because they never fell out. She only suffered one ear infection while the tubes were in and she has been fine ever since. She is now 5.

My eldest had terrible ear infections every year until he was 4. All the children at that time were getting tubes if they had even a few ear infections. My pediatrician sent me to a wonderful audiologist and he recommended prophalactic amoxicillan (which at that point my son had had for the infections so often that he did not respond to it for infection anymore). As I was not thrilled with the prospect of general anethesia I agreed to trying that regimen. The other children that got the tubes had infections even with them, lost them or simply had no benefit. My son had a much better winter that year and has not had ear infections since and he is now 15. I would get a second opinion before putting your child under anesthia.

Hi K.,
We have four children & one of our daughters had to have tubes put in her ears when she was 2 as well. It was shortly after I was finished nursing her & she had switched to store bought milk. She definitely had trouble with dairy, & after taking her off of it, her infection did clear up. She went through 4 months of antibiotics to try to clear up the residual fluid, but without success.
The more I learned about antibiotics, the more we didn't want her on them. She did end up getting the tubes (much to our dismay) because we couldn't get the fluid to resolve. Her ears were not infected, but the fluid would not go away, so she was having trouble hearing. The tubes did seem to help, however; they told us they would fall out in about 6 months to a year. Well 2 and a half years later, they finally came out.
My biggest complaint about the tubes (confirm this with your ENT) is that if wax gets on either end of the tube, they are useless, because they are blocked. I don't know if you've seen how tiny these tubes are, but they are like a small piece of spaghetti hollowed out. Now how long do you think they would be in before they would get blocked by wax? And the problem from there is that they cannot pull the wax off the tube because; #1 they cannot see on the other side of the eardrum & #2 if it is on the side they can see, they don't want to risk pulling off the wax & tearing the eardrum.
There are many alternatives to tubes, to help you out. Start with dairy elimination. That is a HUGE allergy for many young children. Ear candles (check your local health food store) are also an incredible way to clear your child's ear of too much wax & fluid. Unfortunately, I learned some of these things AFTER our daughter had undergone the surgery. I resolved other ear infections with two of our other children on my own, & they never had to take an antibiotic. She was the only one of our 4 that had to have the tubes put in.
I don't know if this was of any help to you or not. I will be praying that God gives you wisdom for the best decision for your son.

Be blessed,
K.

hello K., I am a paramedic and went thru the same problems when my son was an infant. He was sick everyday from ear infections which also caused chronic asthma problems. Finally, an EENT physician fought with our HMO insurance and we had the tubes put in both of his ears at 18months old. It was the best thing we ever did!!!! and he is a healthy 11 year old now. BUT there is a chance of complications with every surgery and my son has "mild" hearing deficits. No one can determine whether the chronic infections or the surgery was the cause. It is a chance everyone makes when your child is sick. Find a good EENT doctor and get MANY referrals...take the time to find out about this MD and good luck.

Hi K.,
My daughter had this operation at the age of 2. We decided this was the best option following multiple ear infections and constanly being on antibiotics. The surgery was a piece of cake - the hardest part was watching her put to sleep with a gas mask! By the time I was resettled in the waiting room the doc came out to say it was all over! My daughter woke up VERY irritable from the anesthesia, but the nurses assured me this is common. Once the medicine wore off she was completely herself with no complaints of ear pain.
Unfortunately my daughter got another ear infection within 2 weeks of the tubes. They started to work thier way out of her ear. The doctor easily plucked them out in her office and set us up for the insertion of T tubes. These kind do not work themselves out- they have to be surgically removed- which was done at age 4 - at that time they do a blood patch on the eardrum to seal it.
The tubes were the right decision. She did not have another ear infection, after the initial one, again (she is now 8!). She has had hearing tests and passed with no problem and we avoided multiple antibiotics!
The only difficult part following the surgery was beiong sure she kept water out of her ear while swimming. I found that Mack's wax earplugs were the best.
I hope this helps!! Good luck!

My son was just about 3 when he needed tubes also. Again, due to many ear infections and him not being able to hear what we were saying...like he heard the word garbage as barbage...but the afternoon after the tubes were put in his ears he said garbage correctly for the first time. It was amazing.

Anyway, it was scary for me to let them "operate" on my son. They let us go as far as the operating room door and I so wanted to go with him but I couldn't but they let him take his blanket in with him that hopefully smelled like me and his daddy.

SO then we sat and we sat and we walked the floors of waiting room. Then the Doctor himself came out and told us that everything had worked out just fine and that he was in recovery and would be out soon.

A while later, that seemed liked a whole day, which was only about a half hour they said that he was moved to an area which was also a recovery area, but a recovery area where parents could go to.

There he was in this big crib like bed laying down, sleeping. A few minutes later, which again seemed like forever, he woke up. Very croggy, but very happy to see us. He had some juice or popsicle and the doctor/nurses checked him and we could go home.

He was supposed to rest when we got home. Try keeping your 2-3 year old down!! By that afternoon, he was back to himself, playing and saying words correctly!!!

I hope it is like this for you.

My son was 1yr and 4months when he had his done - The procedure is so quick - The hardest part (which wasn't has hard as I thought, but still hard enough) was being in there when they put the mask over his mouth and watching go under - The tubes did wonders for him - that same day I noticed a different - he was leaning backwards on the couch - he wasn't walking trying to stablize himself and he slept in his crib all night for the first time (before that he was in the swing that he even burnted out the motor) - They fall out on their own and nock on wood - has had only one ear infection (with the tubes being in which was good becauce he felt no pain because the infection came right out through the tube and out his ear) - Sorry for being so long - Good Luck -

Hey there...... have you tried to have Chiropractic adjustments? I know someone who did not have that great of a time with the tubes and the adjustments helped so much they did not have to redo the tubes. Just a thought on an alternative. There are Chiropractors specifically for children.

My two year old girl went through it in September. The procedure is very short. By the time you walk back from the OR to the waiting room they will be calling you. The only really dificult part (other than handing her to the doctor) is coming out of the anethesia. My daughter reacted violently for about 25 minutes (thrashing, screaming) and then came out of it and was perfectly fine. They assured me that she wasn't in any pain and it wasa result of the anethesia. ALthough very tough to witness, it was worth it. After 19 infections during the first two years, she has only had one or two more since last September and they were much less severe. God bless you and your family.

I faced this when my son was 2. I opted not to get the tubes. BECAUSE I realized it was only treating the symptom and not the cause of ear infections. Why put your child through a surgical procedure that is NOT going to decrease infection but just relieve the symptoms. Your son (as my son was) has issues with getting infection. What does this mean? His immune system needs to be boosted. I would check with a medical nutritionist. Eliminating refined sugar. Adding a nice multivitamin and yogurt and whole grain foods virtually eliminated the chronic ear infections in my son. The tubes privide drainage to infection, not cure the infection. Best regards and good luck.

My daughter had tubes put in 4 times by the time she was 5 years old. Each time her body rejected them within a few months. But while they were in she had no problems and no infections. Before she got the tubes she had constant ear infections. And because she is allergic to penicillin she couldn't take most meds to get rid of the infection. The last time they put the tubes in they also took out her adenoids.

The worse part of the surgery was letting her go without me. No matter how much I begged the doctors would not let me go in the operating room with her! haha After the surgery (which only lasted about 15 minutes (even though it felt like it was hours to me!) they let me be with her while she came out of anesthesia. She was fine as long as I was there. Each time she had tubes put in, before she went into surgery, the hospital gave her a toy that she could take home with her so she was happy to have it to play with afterwards. One time they gave her a doll that she still has to this day. BTW She is now 25 years old!

One thing I was surprised about is she had no pain or any other reaction after the surgery. Nothing. It was as if she had just woke up from a good nap! Each of the 4 times she wanted to go to McDonald's on the way home from the hospital (of course we took her).

Hi K.,

My daughter, now 4, had tubes placed in both her ears when she was 18 months old. It was also because of all the ear infections - the fluid wouldn't drain out of her ear and ended up bursting an eardrum. Anyway, the worst part was before and after the procedure. They gave her the anesthesia and watching her become drowsy was horrible. She looked like a drunk 18 month old - she was wobbly, her eyes were glazing over, and as her mother,it was frightening to watch. The procedure itself was quick and with no problems. When she was coming out of the anesthesia, it got bad again. She had a very hard time and was screaming, kicking and thrashing about. I tried to give her a bottle, but she didn't want it. The only thing that calmed her down was having my husband come back and hold her. Again, it was very frightening watching this and not being able to console her or do anything about it.
The tubes themselves worked wonderfully! No more ear infections at all. Her stayed in until she was 4 (they actually just came out), which to me seemed a little long, but the doctors weren't concerned. They never bothered her (she obvioulsy couldn't feel them). The only inconvience was having to out the plugs in her ears at bathtime. After a few years, I stopped using them because they fell out more often then not (I probably shouldn't have, but nothing happened because I wasn't using them..) I know you can get fitted ones, but they are more expensive.

Hope this helps. It may be very hard to watch, but just know that it is really going to help in the long run.

Good luck!

My son had the surgery 2 weeks prior to his 2nd Birthday.He had so many infections that he was losing his hearing & was not speaking.The inside of his ears were turning purplish.The surgery lasted 1/2 hour if that & he starting speaking a month later.It was the best decision I made,he couldn't even hear a whisper.He received services from a speech pathologist which came to the house 2x a week to enhance his speech thru the Early Intervention Program.After surgery you need to prevent water from entering the ears, try inserting cotton ball into the ear and covering with vaseline otherwise just be cautious.They eventually fallout on their own, my son's stayed in place for almost 5 years without any issues. If you see drainage,it's an infection,take him in for treatment.My son is now 12yrs old & has minimal infections since the tubes fell out,while the tubes were in place I'd say he got about 3-5 infections vs an infection every other month & months of antibiotics prior to the evaluation for surgery.Ask the doctor every question you can think of,when in doubt ASK.The hospital staff also gave me a book which contained pictures of the staff with masks,they also spoke to him regarding the surgery so when he saw the doctors with masks he was familiar with the images.

This is a pretty routine surgery. Of course NOTHING is routine when it is your little one going into the hospital, even for an out patient surgery. My son had it done when he was three. A little late in the game, but it was after we tried everything to "naturally" remove the fluid that kept building up and leading to infections.

This was 7 years ago, so things may have changed, but at that time they put the tubes in. Things went well, no problems. After the surgery I had to be careful not to let water get into his ears. So we wore earplugs in the tube, when we went swimming, ets. ONLY to find out several months later there were tubes that they can put in that only allow fluid to move one way (drain, but not go back in). Had I know this I would have requested these.

As I said things may be different now. We didn't have any problems. Hope this helps.

Hi K.,

My son had tubes and adnoids done at 20 months. He will feel nothing and have no problem. You, however, will cry and worry but it's over quickly and what you will have is a totally differnet child. No more ear infections my son had ear infections since birth, both ears at least twice a month. You will have achild who will hear clearly and speak better. He might be sensitive initially to loud noises becasue it was all muttled before the tubes. The tubes slide out on there own I noticed one never saw the other come out. There is absoulutly no discomfort with them in their ears. 5 out of my 7 friends all had their kids with tubes not a complaint. What you have to look forward to is a happier boy! Good luck. A. B

My daughter has had tubes placed twice. She was 15 months and then 3 years old. She had her aednoids out the second time. They place we went was excellent with children. They brought us in and let her change her pj's in to a gown or she could leave her bottoms on. Then the DR came in and saw us and a couple other people. They said we could go with her to et started but she went with them without any fuss so we wished her luck and kissed her. She was done within 15 minutes. They are a little fussy coming out of the anesthsia but she did great. They offered her popsicles and juice. We were there after for about 2 hours. Have some popsicles and juice on hand and maybe some easy to eat things for your child. Sarah did very well and seemed fine by the evening time. I also have 3 children. I have a son 6years old, a daughter 4 years old and another son 3 years old. I'm home also, I do work one day a week and do work at home. Be strong for your son and everything will be fine. It's worth it in the end so there might not be as many ear infections. My daughter went quite awhile without an infection. God Bless and good luck.

My son had tubes put in at 18 months. He also had chronic ear infections that never seemed to get better. He was only gone from us for about 30 min and didn't seem to be in too much pain. He did have a hard time waking up, but after a really good nap, he was back to playing. He was back in daycare the next day. The only issue we had was that he was quiet and somewhat reserved for a few days, we think because he wasn't used to hearing as well and everyting was a little overwhelming. I did give him tylenol the first 2 days.
We were told that there was no restriction on swimming...as long as it was chlorinated water, and that if water did get in his ears, he would naturally know how to get it out (tilting his head). Occasionally, if he has an upper resp. infection, he gets some drainage out of his ears (exactly what the tubes are supposed to do!), we were prescribed antibiotic ear drops for when this happens. I'm hoping my daughter won't need them, butI would have it done again, and probably sooner than the last time.

Hi K., I have a 17 year old that had tubes put in his ears when he was around 13 months. I had a friend who had a son who went deaf at age 3 because of chronic ear infections so when my son kept getting the ear infections I recommended to the doctor to perform the surgery. He also had his adnoids removed. Just want to remind you to make sure his tubes come out. One of my son's tube stayed in until he was about 11 yrs old and the dr's never noticed that it was still there.(even with yearly checkups at a prominent Dr's office) I assumed that it was gone because I found the 1st tube in the bed with him probably within the first year. The tube that was left in his ear put a hole in his eardrum, although Dr's, Audiologist, etc said that there would be no permanent damage. He is a big healthy 17 year old about to graduate from High School. Go for it! Good Luck and God Bless!

My daughter had tubes put in her ears when she was 14 months old. The one thing that I would recommend is that you ask for the earliest surgery that you can get because they are not able to eat or drink milk-they have to fast for 12 hours which with a little one is not so much fun. The surgery itself is so quick! I felt as though I barely even sat down after they came and took her and the doctor was back out there telling me that everything was fine. My little one did not have any kind of reaction to the small amount of anaesthesia that they gave her so she was up and asking for food and drink within an hour of the surgery. Afterwards, we had no issues and no more ear infections either. You will have to keep earplugs for any time that they are in the water. Our tubes fell out by the time that she was 3 and we did not have to have them replaced. Good luck with the surgery-I hope that your little boy does well too!

My son was 13 months old when he had tubes put it. It took about 10-12 minutes from the time they took him to the operating room in the outpatient facility we went to until they brought me back to see him all done. He did great, cried coming out of the anestesia but that was normal, even for adults. Never had an ear infection after that, and he had one after another for months until we put the tubes in. It helped his gross motor skills since he had better balance and he started to talk since he could hear better. It was the best thing we did.

You should see a drastic improvement if the results are anything like what I have experienced with my girls. Even leaving the surgical center your child should be happier. Both of them had to have the tubes put in because of constant ear infections. My older daughter will be 4 in June and she lost one tube already and still has one in. The duration for her has been approx. 2 1/2 years -so it is time for them to come out. My youngest will be 2 in August and she still has both of hers. They have been in almost a year. The tubes have helped to avoid ear infections when they get a cold and congestion occurs. They have been very effective. If your child swims in the summer (or otherwise) I would reccommend wearing a swimming cap. It will help keep the water out. I use the Ciprodex drops if I think too much water got into their ears. I wish you luck. If you have any specific questions you can write back.

My son had tubes at the age of about 17 months, after 9 ear infections in 6 months and we were in the same boat as you...didn't know what to expect, very nervous, and a bit leary of the whole process. Everything was fine, it was a less than 10 minute procedure (minimal risk and very common), and we were in and out of the hospital in about an hour and a half. Your son will not be able to eat or drink for a few hours beforehand and will be a bit groggy and likely cranky for a little while after waking. The good news is that he will be back to himself very quickly. As soon as we got home, my son was eating, smiling, and playing as if nothing had happened. The tubes will fall out on their own, or in our case, they will move enough so that the doctor can take them out. He may/may not need to have the procedure done again, based on whether there is still fluid. Good luck to you!

don't worry- it's hard to go thru the actual experience, seeing your son limp for the procedure, and crying after the tubes, but they recover soooo quickly. the next day they're fully recovered and hearing! that was the amazing thing, seeing my son hear things he had previously not heard...then you can also expect a speech delay if your son has not been hearing, so you may need to discuss that with your doctor....

Hi, Both my kids had tubes put in when they were about 2. I was very nervous about it too. But it turned out to be the best thing for them. Neither one had problems with ear infections while the tubes were it. The biggest pita is having to worry about them getting water in their ears. Which also did not turn out to be that big of a deal. Summer time will be the toughest if your son wants to go under water alot. They recommended the wax plugs, which I did not have great luck with. They always seemed to fall out. I did however remember having a neighbor when I was little that always used Silly putty in his ears, so I did use that and it worked better than the wax. (Not sure if the Dr. would think that is a good idea, but you could ask) Good luck!

hello my 3yr old grandaughter had tubes put in and i was
very surprised. we got to the hospital and i think the whole process took about an hour. they gave her a shot
and then took her to the surgical room the doctor came out about 15 min and she was in recovery already. i then was told they were bringing her to me. she was still a bit
drowsy. it was very simple and easy and of course who was
more upset and worried of course me but it went so smooth.
we had it done at childrens hosp. she had to go see the dr
2 weeks later and has been fine. she is 5 now and the tubes
did help. dont worry mom your child will be just fine.

My son had them put in when he was 12 months old. He is now 19. The actual procedure takes less than 30 minutes(at least that is how long it took back then). The difference is wonderful. The tube extends the ear canal, which is usually inadequate and the reason behind the infections, allowing for better drainage and fewer to no infections. There is always the possibility that the tubes may fall out and need to be replaced. I was fortunate and my son's did not fall out till he was three and by that time he no longer needed them. Take heart. These will help. V.

I'm a bit of an expert mom in this area... been dealing with this stuff over the past 4 years and I highly recommend it for kids with chronic ear infections...

My daughter has had this procedure twice now, first time at 18 months of age, a second time ~ 4 yrs old. My son has also had them done twice, first time also around 18 months old and a second time at 2 1/2 yrs old. The tubes were the best thing I could have done for my children given their circumstances. Ear/nose/throat issues run in both mine and my husband's families, add allergies and asthma to the mix on dh's side.
Essentially my kids were destined to have chronic ear infections. They had a dramatic improvement following the ear tube procedure. The reason they had to have these done a second time (which is not unusual among kids with these problems) was, with my daughter, the tubes eventually fell out (after 18 months or so), and the area healed over. Then she began having ear infections again, this time they were more advanced (had one ear drum rupture) and very sudden... hence the second set of tubes and also had her adenoids removed.

With my son, (being a bit rougher... boy...) one tube was on it's way out and no longer functioning within 12 months of the procedure. Dr is also recommending adenoid and tonsil removal for him soon ~ 3yrs of age.
All in all the procedure was always quick (~15 min) and recovery ~ 1-2 days when just dealing with ear tubes. Hardest part was when they wake up after anesthesia. My kids were really confused and cried for ~ 30 min - 45 min. After that plenty of TLC and special treatment (perhaps some new small trinkets or dvd...) for a couple of days is all they needed. They also had to have ear drops for several days following the procedure to heal another ear infection in the works at the time of the procedure (also pretty typical for kids with these problems)
Hope this was helpful... good luck!

Hi K.! Both of my kids had tubes. My daughter (she's 5 1/2 now) got them when she was a little over one and they worked beautifully - she's never had an ear infection since and rarely is sick now.

My son (he's 3 1/2 now) has had tubes five times now (they've fallen out earlier than expected and he has kept getting ear infections). My son has grown quicker than average (he's well off the charts for both height and weight) - not sure if that's why the tubes didn't stay in for as long as they should have...

In any case, the procedure is literally five minutes and the kids get anesthesia. Both of my kids came out from under without an issue and were totally fine. I took them home and they ate a meal without an issue and were up and running without even so much as another dose of tylenol. My experience has been wonderful - except for the fact that my son's don't stay in past 5 or 6 months...

The benefits have been tremendous though - my son's hearing was horrible (we had him tested for nerve damage since it was so bad, but thankfully it was just from the fluid in his ears that he couldn't hear). As soon as the tubes were in, we were able to whisper to him and he heard us crystal clear. Also, his speech improved ten-fold when the tubes went in.

I'm sure you have an ENT already, but if you are in need of a really good doctor, send me a private message and I'll send you back the name of my kids' otolaryngologist - he's well known in NJ, has won all sorts of awards for his accomplishments, has an excellent bedside manner, is great with the kids and explains everything to you until you are comfortable. He's also on the conservative side, so when he tells you his opinion, he's not pushing something on you that he wouldn't do on his own kids.

Best of luck!

- K. :)

Hi K.

Im A., I have a almost 4yr old daughter who had tubes put in her ears when she was 2 1/2. When she had that done she had her tonsils and adniods removed as well. She had an amazing Dr. It was an in and out same day procedure. The tubes didnt bother her at all she just didnt like the drops in her ears. She was tired from the anestheia and crabby for the first day but that was about it. it has helped amazingly she has had about 3 ear infections since then. She still has them they havent fallen out yet. The dr may try to get you to have special ear plugs made to fit your childs ears and they are rather expensive and everytime the ears grow you need to have them refit. I bought regular ear plugs from CVS that cost about $3 and she loves them she even puts them in herself for her bath and when she goes in the pool. Hope some of this helps. If you have any other questions you can email me at ____@____.com hope this helped.

Good luck!
A.

When my son was born with a cleft lip and palate we were told he would need tubes for many years as his body grew. Minor procedure which he had done many times as he grew older, bothered us more than him. He is now 20 without any problems. You will need to get ear plugs for your son as he will not be able to get water in his ears.

Hi K.,

My 19 month old just had this procedure on 3/20 at St. Peter's . My expereince was almost identical to Jill's. We were very nervous about it but it went very smoothly. My son was back to himself that evening. I am also concerned about keeping water out of his ears. We did not buy the ear plugs but I will discuss with his doctor during our follow up visit next week. As a mom it is impossible not to worry...but it is a very common procedure and our doctor was very reassuirng. Best of Luck!

Both of my kids had tubes in their ears, and I received a couple of panicked phone calls from the school about "Drainage" coming from the ears. The bottom line on that is that the tubes create a clear path from the sinuses to the outside world - when you get a cold and your ears feel "blocked up", the tubes allow that stuff to run out of the ear. The first time I picked up a child with mucous running out of his head, I was, naturally, very concerned, and ran him to the pediatrician - who said it was, in fact, "overflow" from the cold he had...

I never had any luck with the ear plugs they say you have to use (we swim a lot), so I kept a bottle of diluted vinegar with an eye dropper handy to put a couple of drops in after swimming (alcohol burns and vinegar is as effective at flushing the tubes and killing the germs) - ask your ENT for his/her suggestion on that.

life with tubes is not the drama they imply, but plenty of people who have no experience with it will always be handy to be helpful, in my experience.

When they 'outgrow' the tubes, they generally fall out on their own, sometimes you see them, sometimes no. If you have a hanger on, dangling out of an ear, it is usually okay to remove it with your fingers, but again, ask your ENT when they go in how long they are, so you can make a determination on that.

S.

Hi there,
A friend of mind had this procedure done on her 12 month old and it went great. She said the baby responded very well to the anesthesia and the procedure took less than 15 mins. Good luck!

Hi, My son has has it 5 times. It is a very simple, quick procedure. It really is easy and they are fine. It is harder on us. I remember crying when we got there and he had to put his gown on to go in...but try and keep smiling, because in 15 minutes, he is back to you, and he is fine,. Mine wanted donuts after...and it was the best thing ever for him. They do come out sometimes too quickly but sometimes they stay in a long time. It depends on your sons body and when it wants to push them out. Good luck...hope you have an easy time and I know your child will.

My son haad tubes several times. It really helped him! I think that one piece of advice I wish I had known was that after his tubes he was very sensitive to loud noise. I would suggest keeping a few clean cotton balls in your purse. Putting some cotton in softened the noise. I also had to move outside when the noise got too intense. Watch carefully that your child hears properly after the tubes have been in for a while. Jeff had trouble reading because he does not hear some sounds correctly and never learned the phonetic spelling of many words.
We also had a doll wear ear plugs in the shower. They were a team. Ice pops after the surgery worked well and settled his tummy!
Good luck!
Things will get better soon!
K.

My son had them at 12 months and the hardest time was when he woke up from the anestisia....we were at Danbury hospital and they had us wait in this tiny recovery room to make sure he was ok and we just wanted to get him out of there so he would stop crying but they made us wait to make sure he was ok to go home, while we were waiting we saw that they had a tv w/ dvd player in the room and I had wished we had brought his favorite video I think it would have made him more comfortable, so I would bring a video cassette and dvd just in case they have one available for your child.

My son had the tubes put in his ears twice. first time he was after his 1st b-day. They lasted for little while and 1 fell out and the other got stuck in his ear canal.He started again with the problems and had his 2nd surgery he was 2 and 1/2 and they stayed in until he was about 4 and 1/2. If I had to do it all over again I would do it! You run the risk of meningitis with the constant fluid in the ears that could travel to the brain. Why cause your child to be in constant pain? The thing that I noticed that really helped my son was a chiropracter. They did not crack or twist his neck, they did simple manipulations to get his neck bones in alignment.They said that it can happen at birth. Your ears are supposed to drain on their own but if you are out of alignment then it does not drain properly and that is why the fluid stays in the ears.My son had a speech delay and is still behind but I think without this intervention he would not be speaking at all.He will be 6 next month.

My son had the procedure done at 11 months. It was quick the only down side effect was him coming out of anastisia, he was crying fo 15 minutes. He went back to sleep after the crying and was perfectley fine an hour later with no sidefects. He is currently 15 months and so far he has had no serious infections. He gets colds constantley since he attends day care but non of them resulted in an ear infection with a fever. He was put on mild antibiotics when he got the colds but the drops go in to the ear and not by mouth which makes them more efective and less intrusive on his system.

I definaley recomend the procedure.

Hi K.,
My son also had tubes put in at 2 years old. We had the most healthy year after that. The surgury is soo simple and they are only away from you for about 1o minutes. It is scarey to have your baby go thru it but they bounce right back. It will be the best thing.
Once the tubes were in my son was so surprised to hear the birds and all the sounds. I Never knew he couldnt hear well because he spoke clearly. It was amazing the difference.
Best wishes

My son will be 4 on April 1st and is on his second pair! His first pair was put in when he was 8 months old. The procedure takes about 15 minutes, and they only give the kids sleeping gas through a mask so they wake up rather quickly. You'll need to put drops in the first day but nothing after that. It's remarkable how well the tubes work. The kids are fine in a day, you'll be the one who could use the margarita!
C. M

Hi-
I am the mother of grown children and although I did not have to have my children have tubes placed in the ears, I have seen some children do fine.
This is some helpful info that I came across as my children were growing and it helped me too.
Wheat, dairy, or certain food, mold,pesticides either as airborne allergies
[food mold in berries,-environment] can sometimes be a sensitivity to children with ear infections.
There is a book by Dr.Doris Rapp named "Is this your Child?"
Pretty good for reference.
May be in your local library

K.
My son had tubes put in when he was 14 months old. Also because he had chronic ear infections. At the time I thought that that was so young.... it was the greatest thing for him.
He was immediatly relieved from ear pain. One tube fell out on its own at about 8 months and the other was about a year. He then never suffered from ear infections again. It really did help him tremendously. IN fact he is now 11 years old and hardly ever is sick. It is a great proceedure. Good Luck.
D.

My son had tubes now twice beacuase of continual fluid and trouble hearing. The first time was just two and then again at four. The place where he had them done I was able to walk him into the operating room and stay as he went under ( a weird feeling for me, I knwo not everywhere allows that). When he woke up he cried for a bit as the sleepy medicine wore off. We went home where he was a bit cranky for the day and then no more side affects. My EnT never had us deal with ear plugs or cotton in the ears for baths which my present ENT has us do. Following his surgery we returned to the ENT every 6months for hearing tests and for her to check adn see where the tubes were. It really was as easy for us as its sounds. - hope it goes as smoothly for you as it did for us

K.,

My daughter nursed until she was 13 months old and never had an ear infection, then as soon as she stopped nursing she got an ear infection and no matter what medicine they gave her it would not go away. After two months of a constant infection, we were referred to an ENT for tubes. I thought that it was a rush decision on the doctors part, but since the infection wouldn't go away, we decided to go ahead with it.

Although it seemed very scary and we weren't impressed with the hospital that we used, the actual procedure and recovery was simple. The biggest thing is to not let the hospital try to give your baby narcotics to "comfort them". It is not necessary, it makes recovery time longer, and there is some research to suggest that giving children narcotics has a negative impact later in life if they end up trying narcotics (they are more likely to become addicted to drugs if they are given drugs as a child). Just something to think about.

I had a lot of opinions about our decision to have it done, but the person who gave us the hardest time and went a homeopathic route with their daughter, still ended up getting tubes for her at the age of 5, so I say go for it.

D.

Hi K.,

My son had them put in on his 1st birthday. As a parent of my first baby, I was a nervous reck. I worried, panicked and made the situation worse than it needed to be. It was over before I knew it. It was early in the morning, I think about 6:30. He was snug in his PJ's. They wanted him to be comfy. They prep him by taking all his vitals to make sure he's healthy. They gave him sleepy stuff and off he went. He was back in no time. We went back in the rest area. He was graugy from the anesthesia, but fine for the most part. We gave him a little Tylenol that day and before bed. The only other thing that needed to be done was put drops in his ears for a few days after and then whenever his head was submerged under water, like in the shower, pool, etc... As a parent to a parent, act care-free and calm around your son and he will be relaxed about it. Good Luck and I hope it goes smooth for you too.

My oldest daughter was 8 months old when she had her tubes placed. It is a fairly easy and quick procedure. My daughter didn't seem to be in any pain afterwards either. My only advice is to not get the ears wet, such as swimming for awhile. Don't be alarmed if they fall out, they will eventually, no matter what.

My daughter was 18 months old when she had hers done. We had a great responce to it. She was talking much more and better, she was more interactive, and not so clingy. She felt worlds better. The drainage from her ears was very smelly and goopy and had a tendency to make her hair stick to her, but that stopped after about two weeks. Some kids don't have any drainage. My daughter is now 20 years old and her ears never repaired. She has minimal hearing loss and we've had surgery twice to try to close the holes. This is not the norm. I had them as a child three times and my ears healed just fine. It's just a posibility factor I want to make you aware of.

One other possibility is the tubes get stuck and have to be removed. It's a simple process, but not very comfortable.

The hardest thing to handle is your child being unresponsive in the recovery room. It's very unnerving to have them so out of it, but you can request the staff come get you when he's awake.

God Bless

Karen,
My son had tubes put in about 4 1/2 years ago. He is now 6 years old. He used to get so sick with other things right along with the ear infections. I guess when they are little, one think leads to another. It was a relatively quick procedure. They will have you with him until it's time to go in. A nurse will carry him into the "operating room" and you will go to the waiting area. About 45 minutes later they will come get you and you will sit with him in recovery for about an hour or two. During this time he will be very groggy and want his mama. Once the tube are in the ears, he will be able to hear better. But know that he may become sensative to loud noises because he probably has never heard them before due to the blockage of wax that he used to get. My sone has only had a cold or two since the tubes were put in and he has been healthy.
Good luck to you and your little one.
M. M

K.-
It might not be nec!! Go to a chiropractor and get them ckd out first. You might avoid the entire thing!!!!! I am a chiropractor in NYC and I see kids for just this reason and they can avoid the surgery. Give it a shot. You can always have the surgery...that is always there as an option but if there is another way, why not give it a try!
S.

Hi, K.:
My daughter had her tubes put in for the first time at age 16 months...and she was not the youngest undergoing the procedure that day! She got to take home a breath mask at the pre-op, so she was able to play "operation" and become comfortable with it.

As I recall, the whole procedure took only about 30 minutes.
She was very thirsty and a little groggy afterwards.

While the tubes were in, she had NO ear infections. They removed them about a year later, and she had another infection and retention of fluid in her ears, so we had the tubes re-inserted when she was 4 years old.

She has grown out of the constant fluid and ear infections now, and I am so grateful for the tubes! She had some temporary hearing loss with all the fluid in her ears, and her hearing is fine now. (Except when I ask her to do something before her tv show is over!)

Warm regards,
J.

My son who will be 2 in May had tubes put in his ears at the end of January this year. We struggled so much with this. I wanted answers to why he kept having fluid build up in his ears and the reoccurring ear infections (he had 10 in a year). Now in hindsight I am not regretting having reservations since it led to us making the right decision for our son. Getting tubes in his ears was the best thing for him. He was only away from us for 12 minutes and the doctor told us the fluid was pretty thick. We went very early in the morning since they are not allowed to eat before surgery. My husband took him in to the operating room and held him while they put the mask to his face for gas. I was worried about the anesthetia (sp?). He moved his head back and forth since he did not want it in front of his face. The doctors said it was good for them to fight it as they would breathe it in better. Typically these doctors are used to dealing with young children and allow for a favorite blanket or stuffed animal to be brought in with him (make sure it is something you can wash). He was crying and quite upset coming out of it. He smelled so different to me because of the anesthetia smell and I smelled it for a few days after that- it is not a smell you forget. They said he may get sick on the ride home since the gas may affect his stomach. He did fine on the car ride home (about an hour). He was glad to be home and in less than a day we noticed clearer speech. The only drawback is that we did not get ear plugs from the doctor so put cotton with a little vaseline on it in his ears at bath time. He has no problem with them but I worry about water getting in his ears. We have not looked for ear plugs and I hear that custom fit ones are pretty expensive and not typically covered by insurance. The ear drops they had us use after surgery were not bad but after a few days our son did not particularly want to have them. They said to treat him with Tylenol if he seems like he needs it and we only needed to give him one dose for good measure. Our son was always a very happy child prior to surgery however post surgery I would say we saw a different side- he is absolutely exuberant! however now we are nearing the terribles twos:) Good luck!

Hi my son is 7 now. At the age of 2 he had tubes put it. I was worried like you which is only natural!! However it was the best thing for him. After the procedure He could hear sooo much better, the fluid was draining properly, the ear infections were gone, and he was not in pain anymore. He was so much happier. The actually procedure of putting in the tubes only takes minutes. The tubes will fall out on their own in which the doc will be able to tell you at your follow ups. My sons fell out after about 8 monthes. His ent is in Westchester. Let me know what happens T.

my daughter had tubes put in at this age. It was the best thing I could do for her. After the tubes were in she woke up we went home stopping at McDonald's. Just like noting happened. She had some drainage but thats what they are for. Within the year they fell out and we proceeded like nothing ever happened. She has had very few ear infections since. Some children do need to have them put in again and again but they do do the job. I hope this helps you.
J.

K.,
Please go and get a 2nd and 3rd opinion. My son was supposed to have this done also and I was very leary. I took him to 3 specialist's and the 3rd one told me that most doctor's do this because it's another way to make there money. So please for your own peace of mind, make sure it is 200% needed!

H.

K.,
My 9 month old daugter just had tubes put in her ears on 3/12. The moms on this website were great. They told me exactl what to expect and they didn't sugarcoat anything!! My daughters procedure took all of 10 minutes. My husban and I no sooner for to the waiting room and sat down the doctor came out to tell us that she was done. Immediatly following the procedure in the recovery room was tough. My daugter cried for two hours. The anestesiologist told me that when ittle ones come out of anestesia it is waking up from a really bad dream. It was really har to see my baby crying that out of control. I coulnd't do anything to console her. It was tough. They let us leave the hospital about 1 hour after the procedure. The crying in the car was tough. Luckiy we live less that 2 miles from the hospital, so my husband cut through the neighborhoods driving slow and I kept the baby on my lap. Not the safest thing, but we couldn't even get her off me to put her in her carseat. Once we got home she seemed to start calming down. She slept for about 1 hour when we first got home and once she woke up she was a lot better. She was still al ittle groggy, but as the day went on she was back to normal. One thing that I found a little alarming was the goop that came out of her ears. her ears were very bad. One was 100% blocked and the other was 90% blocked. for the first day she had blood and fluid leaking out of her ears, but that stopped after the first night.
It was really amazing how much different she acts and how much more she can hear with the tubes. When we first got home she was really infatuated with our dogs. We figured out that she was hearing their tags on their collars for the first time. we now find her tapping on things with her fingers and toys and just looking at them. She also has taken a liking to television and her noisy toys. I thank god we decided to have the tubes put in. After the first couple of hours you will never your son had anything done!!
Also, I am not sure how your hospital handles the procedure, but my hospital didn't even need to start an IV on my daughter. the procedure is so quick that they only use gas to knock her out and a nurse holds her until she is asleep and then she was held again as they were giving her oxygen to wake her up.
good luck and feel free to writ me if you have any other questions!!

C.

Two seems a little young to me to be putting tubes in ears. Who is your pediatrician? I would definitely get a second opinion. Have you considered any alternative treatments like examining foods he is eating, cutting out dairy, trying homeopathic treatments, etc. I have heard many wonderful stories from parents who have tried these types of things.

I am a mom of 3 as well - 9yr old boy, 6 year old boy and 3 month old girl!

My daughter who is now 11 tomorrow. Had 3 sets of Tubes. I was really worried but she did really well.She was up and about that afternoon. Which really surprised me. All 3 times.

My daughter had tubes placed at 16 months after having 11 ear infections within a few months. It was the best decision we could have made for her. Kids are very resilient and your son should bounce back quickly. The hardest part of any surgery is just before and just after. With young children they do not understand what is happening and are unable to articulate their fear of the unfamiliarity of the situation. The most important thing is to bring something along that is familiar and comforting to your child and for you to stay as calm and relaxed as possible. If you can remain positive and steady, your child will have a better chance of being able to do that too.

You will be glad you went ahead with the tubes, they are very beneficial!