3 Signs Your Child May Need Ear Tubes
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
Published on in Health Tip of the Week
Ear tube surgery, also known as tympanostomy tube insertion surgery, is the most common childhood surgery performed in the United States. At The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia alone, surgeons in the Division of Otolaryngology (ENT) surgically implant ear tubes in more than 4,000 children each year at CHOP’s Main Hospital and the CHOP Specialty Care Center & Surgery Centers in Brandywine Valley, Bucks County, King of Prussia and Voorhees.
For children plagued by ear infections from an early age, ear tubes offer many benefits. These tiny cylinders, usually made of plastic and sometimes metal, are surgically inserted into your child’s eardrum. This allows air to flow in and out of the middle ear, which improves the health of the middle ear and typically reduces the number of ear infections.
But just because your family has suffered through some late nights and gone through several courses of antibiotics for ear infections, that doesn’t necessarily mean ear tube placement is the best option. “We don’t recommend ear tube surgery for every single child with an ear infection,” says Brian P. Dunham, MD, an attending surgeon in the Division of Otolaryngology. “Often, antibiotics and other non-surgical treatments are better suited for children who have occasional ear infections.”
Generally, Dr. Dunham and other doctors at CHOP will recommend ear tubes if your child:
Think it may be time to consider ear tube surgery for your child? Read more about the procedure, including all of the benefits and risks.
Contributed by: Brian P. Dunham, MD
Are you looking for advice to keep your child healthy and happy? Do you have questions about common childhood illnesses and injuries? Subscribe to our Health Tips newsletter to receive health and wellness tips from the pediatric experts at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, straight to your inbox. Read some recent tips.