What are Ear Tube Surgery Risks

Ear tubes is a surgical procedure in which a small incision is made in the eardrum. The word comes from myringa, modern Latin for drum membrane, and tome, Greek for cutting. It is also called myringocentesis, tympanotomy, tympanostomy, or paracentesis of the tympanic membrane. Fluid in the middle ear can be sucked out through the incision.

insertion of ear tubes is one of the most common surgical procedures, especially in children as . Tubes are usually inserted due to persistent or recurring middle ear infections and help to drain the fluid from the middle ear. That drainage usually prevents infections from forming again, and if they do they are generally much milder than before the tubes were inserted. The procedure is very short, usually taking only about 10 to 20 minutes to perform. It is also a relatively safe procedure, although it does have a few possible mild side effects.

Who Needs Ear Tubes?

Ear tubes are often recommended when a person experiences repeated middle ear infection (acute otitis media) or has hearing loss caused by the persistent presence of middle ear fluid (otitis media with effusion). These conditions most commonly occur in children, but can also be present in teens and adults and can lead to speech and balance problems, hearing loss, or changes in the structure of the ear drum. Other less common conditions that may warrant the placement of ear tubes are malformation of the ear drum or Eustachian tube, Down Syndrome, cleft palate, and barotrauma (injury to the middle ear caused by a reduction of air pressure), usually seen with altitude changes such as flying and scuba diving.  

Each year, more than half a million ear tube surgeries are performed on children, making it the most common childhood surgery performed with anesthesia.  The average age of ear tube insertion is one to three years old. Inserting ear tubes may:

• reduce the risk of future ear infection,
• restore hearing loss caused by middle ear fluid,
• improve speech problems and balance prob-lems, and
• improve behavior and sleep problems caused by chronic ear infections.

Risks

The risks include:

• Cutting the outer ear

• Formation at the myringotomy site of granular nodes due to inflammation

• Formation of a mass of skin cells and cholesterol in the middle ear that can grow and damage surrounding bone (cholesteatoma)

• Permanent perforation of the eardrum.

The risk of persistent discharge from the ear (otorrhea) is 13%.

Scarring

After ear tubes are inserted, they typically stay in place for about one year before being pushed out by a combination of a healing ear drum and ear wax production. As the tube is pushed out of the ear drum, the drum heals the hole that is left behind. The area where the tube was inserted often heals to form a thin scar. The scar is usually of no consequence and causes no problems, but can often be visible on a future ear exam.