Ear tubes?

Hi
It's been a really long time since I've posted. We've gone through about 4 months of ear infections with both babies!

Now we are going to have tubes put in. I have never gone through this and am looking for any advice out there. Is there anything I should do in advance?

Is it true they won't be able to take baths without plugs in their ears?

Any help would be great! Thanks

Shoshana

 

Josh got ear tubes this past March. It was the best thing we did for him. The procedure was quick and easy. He had a lot of crying when he woke up, but not due to pain - just diorientated (this is very common after PE surgery, as the anethesia causes them to feel a bit weird when they wake up). We left about 20 min after he woke up, and he was fine from there on out. I think most kiddos stay a bit longer, but being that I was a pediatric nurse at the hospital where he had his surgery - they let us go.


And no, he doesn't wear ear plugs at all. They said unless he was going under water (total body about 4 feet down or more), he doesn't need ear tubes. MAny ENT's have different oppinions on this topic. But I knew there would be no way i would get Josh to wear ear plugs, so I was glad our ENT felt the same way I do. The tubes are so VERY small that water really can't enter them unless there is pressure forcing the water in.

Good luck! There isn't anything you need to do prepare really. And they can eat normally after surgery, so you don't need anything special on hand. Maybe just bring with their bottle/sippy cup to use when they wake up.

You will be so happy to have this done, ear infections will be a thing of the past! They are not any fun!

 

Mine had ear tubes put in at 13 months of age; what a great thing they are! Each child still got a few more infections that next year, but they didn't hurt! amazing!

The procedure itself was really fast - my DH brought the 1st child into the "procedure room" where they administered the anesthesia; by the time he came back to the waiting room the procedure was over and they were requesting the next child. I walked down to the recovery area and 1st child was there starting to wake up. I will tell you that mine (and most others getting the tubes that morning - there were about 10 kids altogether; Dr. schedules an "ear tube" morning) cried a lot while trying to recover from the anesthesia. I think it scares them - being all disoriented. I was assured that the ear tubes themselves could not possibly be hurting them - I think that's so because as soon as we left the "surgery center" both girls stopped crying and were themselves shortly afterward. One of my girls was a bit tired all day, but with the other you wouldn't even know she'd had anesthesia that day.

Our Dr. didn't worry a lot about ear plugs; he gave us some and said that if our kids liked to dunk themselves a lot in the bath (bath water could be a bit dirty) then to use them; otherwise not. He wasn't worried about pool water because of the chlorine. But your Dr. will tell you what precautions to follow; some Drs are different.

 

My ds was a little older, but our ent also told us not to worry about ear plugs. Yes, they do cry from being disoriented. Also, my kids all throw up from the anesthesia (so do I). But all in all, it wasn't a bad experience at all. And not only did it cure the constant fluid, but it helped on the talking side for my son!

 

DD got ear tubes on Nov 12, after 4 months of constant ear infections. Since then, nothing's changed. She's still congested, with ear drainage, ear infections and lung inflammation/irritation. Just saw the ENT this morning for a follow up, and sure enough, both ears have a combo of bacteria and fungus, so we have to put hydrogen peroxide in her ears twice a day to try to get the gunk out, since he couldn't vacuum it out w/o hurting her.

I'm hoping that we'll see some improvement soon, but since it's cold and flu season, the doc said not to expect miracles until the weather warms and dries up (in this humid climate?? unlikely)! She may have allergy issues that are contributing to this also, and has been put on zyrtec, inhaler (flovent, maybe?) and singulair to help with the congestion and cough.

As PP mentioned, the procedure was quick, she cried a lot coming out of the anesthesia (the doc was trying to talk to us while I could hear my daughter crying down the hall, nutty man, finally told me to head on back and he'd talk to DH instead!), I cried a lot holding her, trying to stay calm for her was hard. Once she settled, maybe 20 mins?, we were allowed to take her home. She was sleepy for several hours afterwards, and then bounced up like nothing had happened and ate well. We are not supposed to submerge her ears in the bath just yet, but I'm hoping that will change if we can get her ears well again.

So, I'd do the tubes, because they help a lot of kids, and I'd try almost anything to see some relief for her. But don't expect things to clear up right away if your kids are not handling the seasonal issues well.

 

QUOTE(Amy A @ Dec 12 2007, 01:21 PM) [snapback]530788[/snapback]
Josh got ear tubes this past March. It was the best thing we did for him. The procedure was quick and easy. He had a lot of crying when he woke up, but not due to pain - just diorientated (this is very common after PE surgery, as the anethesia causes them to feel a bit weird when they wake up). We left about 20 min after he woke up, and he was fine from there on out. I think most kiddos stay a bit longer, but being that I was a pediatric nurse at the hospital where he had his surgery - they let us go.
And no, he doesn't wear ear plugs at all. They said unless he was going under water (total body about 4 feet down or more), he doesn't need ear tubes. MAny ENT's have different oppinions on this topic. But I knew there would be no way i would get Josh to wear ear plugs, so I was glad our ENT felt the same way I do. The tubes are so VERY small that water really can't enter them unless there is pressure forcing the water in.

Good luck! There isn't anything you need to do prepare really. And they can eat normally after surgery, so you don't need anything special on hand. Maybe just bring with their bottle/sippy cup to use when they wake up.

You will be so happy to have this done, ear infections will be a thing of the past! They are not any fun!

THis was our experience as well. But only one twin had to have them (so far) and she was 9 months old when she got them. SHe is doing great so far. She did have to drink and calm down before they would release her. She only had to stay about an hour.

 

My older DD is on her second set of ear tubes. The first set was a 9 months. She has no issues. The procedure was fast and the ENT was out within about 20 minutes of her leaving my arms to say all was well. She did fine recovering from anesthesia and I just nursed her to comfort her. She was a bit sleepy for the rest of the day but other than that no issues. The tubes finally started working their way out about 6 months ago and she was getting repeat ear infections with continuous fluid build up so this time we did tubes and take her adenoids out. She was about to turn 3.

The surgery seems to be quick, easy, and painless from what I have seen my daughter experience. Good luck.

Forgot to add that we dont have any swimming or tub restrictions. Only for the first 2 weeks. I think it depends on the Dr about what they are comfortable with. My DD has been swimming with them the whole time with no issue.

 

You are supposed to keep water out of their ears the first 2 wks. After that our ENT said any water you think might be icky like the lake or ocean, then they needed ear plugs in, otherwise regular swimming for pools was fine without.

 

After 14 combined EIs mine got tubes at 15 months. It was the best thing EVER. Seriously, last March we went to the dr 7 times!! However, my ENT does recommend earplugs, my girls wear them in the bath, & they don't bother them.
Good luck,

 

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My son had a lot of ear infections as an infant and toddler. I wish we had done the tubes sooner. He had them when he was about three. The procedure was quick and he had no pain or adverse reactions. We went right to the toy store to purchase a special toy. They helped immensely. He has not had an infection since. There is really nothing to do in advance except be strong.

They will need to use plugs when they are in water, the tubes make a whole in the ear drum which can cause a mjor problem if water gets in them.

Tubes were one of the best things we ever did for his health and his ability to hear. Good luck

Jen

 

Emily got her's at 10 months after numerous ear infections and Cailyn seems to be going down this same path. I had them as a kid and hated them; but I would have them wear the plugs in the bathtub because of the dirty water...as previous posts has said. Good Luck! They really do help out in the long-run, just a pain if they come out!