A Parent's Guide to Ear Tubes

Is your child constantly dealing with ear infections? As a parent, you’ve considered multiple options to treat this but are not sure of the results. CEENTA offers one treatment method that’s tied to our company’s history: ear tubes.

What are ear tubes?

When you have an ear infection, the narrow tube running from your ear to your throat (the eustachian tube) experiences a buildup of pressure and fluid. This can subsequently lead to increased bacteria and germs in the middle ear. Ear tubes are small cylinders inserted surgically into the ear drum that can equalize this pressure and help drain excessive fluid from the ear to mitigate recurrent infections.

Ear tube surgery has many benefits for children who suffer from recurring ear infections, including:

• Reduce infection risk
• Better hearing
• Improved behavior stemming from infection

How are ear tubes connected to CEENTA?

Ear tube surgery is not just a procedure conducted at CEENTA, it’s a key part of our history. Ear infections were previously treated with needles with limited success, but Dr. Beverly Armstrong designed the modern ear tube design in 1954 which has directly impacted patients and parents to this day.

Can children receive ear tubes?

Ear tube surgery is not just available for children, it’s actually more frequent for this age group than adults. In fact, the average age for this procedure is between 1-3 years, with the youngest being around six months.

What should I expect during my child’s ear tube surgery?

This is an outpatient procedure, meaning that your child will not need to stay overnight for observation. Before the treatment, your child will be given a general anesthetic to help with pain. The surgeon will make a small incision in the ear drum, remove excessive fluid, and place the ear tube into the hole. This process will take approximately fifteen minutes.

Dr. F.P. Johns Langford, a CEENTA otolaryngologist who practices out of our Concord office, goes into more detail about this procedure. “This is one of the most common and gratifying procedures I have performed over my 25 years in practice. The children do great, and the parents are so grateful.”

What should I expect after my child’s surgery?

Following the procedure, your child will be observed then go home when fully awake. They may also prescribe antibiotic ear drops to ensure that any infection resolves. Depending on the style of the ear tubes your child receives, they may fall out on their own after about 12 months or rarely require surgical removal.

If you’re looking for a treatment solution for your child’s continual ear infections, turn to CEENTA. Our team of ENT specialists can examine your child’s ears and see if they are a candidate for ear tube surgery. Schedule your child’s next ENT appointment with Dr. Langford at our Concord location today for better hearing and peace of mind.

This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. New patients can make appointments online with our ENT doctors in North and South Carolina. Current patients can also make appointments through myCEENTAchart with physicians they have already seen.