TTMA ENTs & ear tubes

[vitafelix]

Totally uncharacteristically for me, I have not googled the crap out of this. B has an ENT appointment tomorrow, where his pediatrician expects they will recommend tubes.

Can you hit me with some good resources, anecdotes, and questions I ought to ask? Don't assume I've thought of anything. I'm not in a great headspace right now.

[trutru127]

Following this. We went to the ENT today and are getting tubes plus adenoids removed in Friday.

[huckleberry08]

We did tubes when D was 11 months. It was quick and easy and immediately helped with his chronic ear infections. What questions do you have?

[vitafelix]

What's recovery like? Maintenance? Anesthesia? I don't even know what questions I should have.

[huckleberry08]

They put him under but it was a milder anesthesia than what he had for his lymph node excision. The whole thing took 15 minutes. He was a little groggy afterward but back to himself within a couple of hours. Here is what I would ask:

How long the procedure usually takes
How long til tubes typically fall out (surgery may need to be repeated)
How long he has to avoid eating beforehand
What kind of anesthesia is used and what recovery typically is like
If he needs to wear earplugs in chlorinated water
If he also may need his tonsils or adenoids out at the same time, which is a more major surgery

You will also probably need to do a hearing test but they will likely do that at the visit tomorrow.

[42butterflies]

Honestly, tube placement was so easy I wish I hadn't worried over it and had done it sooner with DS. They put him under a light anesthesia for the procedure. I remember they wheeled him back, DH and I went to go get coffee in the waiting area, and before DH even had his second sip, the ENT was in the room telling us how great DS did. We gave them a few minutes to fully wake DS before we went to get him. He was a little groggy on the way home but back to normal within the hour or so. No pain that day and we were home by 8 AM.

I think he had one or two more ear infections later that year, but after a coup,e days of ear drops they were cleared. His fell out on their own before his 4 year well visit. He had them placed about one month before his 2nd birthday.

[callmeKD]

It's so quick and such a life changer. G had it done in mid May. She had fluid that wasn't draining and was causing her ear drum to under perform, even though her hearing was fine. She's fine to swim, bathe, get her head wet. No need for ear plugs. Tubes should fall out in a year & then we will determine if she needs them again.

It's really hard to see them under anesthesia. I cried. But everything went well & it was so quick.

[vitafelix]

Thanks everyone! A resident went through all B's records and stuff and was like, "have his ears ever been clear?" (No) So, I think this is a really good decision, and feel very comfortable with it.

[42butterflies]

Our ENT said that the "fluid" in DS's ears was the consistency of liquid cement. I was never happier about getting the tubes after that comment.

Good luck to you all!

[trutru127]

Just finished our tubes and adenoids surgery...coming out of anesthesia was the worst part. He cried, screamed and thrashed around a bit. Wasn't really expecting that part but they said it is normal.

[vitafelix]

His ENT said they just do laughing gas & oxygen.

[huckleberry08]

vitafelix Wow, that's nice. They put my LO under - he was a younger age, though, so maybe that influenced it?

[callmeKD]

I thought the laughing gas is a form of anesthesia for young ones? 42butterflies - this sounds like something you would know.

[42butterflies]

Jul 10, 2015 14:30:52 GMT -5 callmeKD said:

I thought the laughing gas is a form of anesthesia for young ones? 42butterflies - this sounds like something you would know.

Well I guess they could use laughing gas, but it's really a conscious sedation where the patient is still awake. I don't think it's typical for tube placement in young ones because they are so mobile and squirmy. A twilight sedation maybe, which is a little deeper than laughing gas - I'm pretty sure DS had an IV for general anesthesia. 

But generally speaking, laughing gas is technically a form of sedation, yes.

[callmeKD]

G did not have an IV for sedation. They put a mask up to her face & put her out that way. She woke up on her own about 5 min after the procedure.

[trutru127]

E had adenoids out as well so he had to go under completely.