I had tubes in my ears five (yes, 5) times during my childhood!!! In "the olden days", this was an inpatient procedures with at lest an overnight stay. The tubes stayed in for 6 weeks and were then taken out in the ENT's office with a hemastat - didn't hurt, just a very strange feeling!!!!!
My son had them twice. The first time when he was 3, outpatient surgery and the tubes fell out on their own in about a year. He literally went from a least one ear infection a month, to only having two the entire next year.
He also had a ton of allergies, but our pedicatrician didn't believe in allergy testing until age 5, feeling it was too traumatic for very young kids. He started having ear infections regularly again once the tubes came out, and we took him to a pediatric allergy specialist for testing. He had his 2nd ear tube surgery and the ENT came out and told us he had horribly scarred ear canals and he did not expect the tubes to make any difference and expected long term hearing defects. He started allergy shots the next week. At his 6 week post-op ENT visit, the Dr. could not believe we had brought the same child to see him as the allergy shots were working such wonders that his ears were completely clear - even of scarring!!!!!!
__________________  Sissy & Angel |