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Problems With Ear Tubes

When a child has a build up of fluid in his ears or gets frequent ear infections, many pediatricians recommend the placement of tubes in the ears. For most children tube placement is a well tolerated procedure with no lasting negative side effects. Tubes can cause problems, however, and the pros a cons of tubes should be weighed carefully before the decision to insert tubes is made.

  1. Perforation

    • Tubes can puncture the ear drum. This perforation may require surgical repair.

    Time Frame

    • Texas Pediatric Surgical Associates reports that in about 10 percent of patients, tubes will come out too soon or stay in longer than planned.

    Long Term Effects

    • Ear tubes can cause scar tissue to form on the ear drum. The New York Times followed a long term study showing that children whose chronic ear infections were treated with tubes had poorer hearing 6 to 10 years after treatment than children whose infections were treated with antibiotics.

    Anesthesia

    • The placement of ear tubes requires anesthesia. The use of anesthesia always carries some risks including arterial injury, irregular heart beat and allergic reaction.

    Misconceptions

    • According to Texas Pediatric Surgical Associates, it is currently believed that children who have tubes in their ears do not need to avoid contact with water unless they are swimming in rivers and lakes or participating in deep diving.

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