Caring for Your Child After Ear Tube Surgery

Kids usually recover from ear tube surgery quickly. Your child should be able to return to a normal diet now and can resume normal activities tomorrow.

Your child had ear tube surgery and is ready to go home. For this surgery, the surgeon made a small hole in each eardrum, removed excess fluid from the middle ear, and inserted a tiny tube in each eardrum. Air can now enter the middle ear so that fluid and pressure won't build up again. The surgery will help prevent infections, ear pain, and possible hearing loss. Your child may vomit a little today or have a minor earache, which is normal. Also, some children's ears will pop when they burp, yawn, or chew. This should go away as the ear heals.

Ear tubes won't prevent all ear infections, but they can make them milder and happen less often.

An ear tube usually remains in place for up to 2 years until it falls out on its own or your health care professional removes it. In some cases, the tubes need to be inserted again.

• If your child's specialist prescribed eardrops to use after the surgery, give them as directed.

• Don't use any other eardrops unless instructed to by your specialist.

• Follow your specialist's dosage instructions if you give your child pain medicine.

• Your child can return to a regular diet at home.

• Your child may go back to quiet activities today and can return to his or her normal activities tomorrow.

• Your child's ears may drain small amounts of fluid for the next 2 or 3 days. You can place a clean cotton ball in the opening of each ear to catch the drainage, but don't stick cotton swabs in the ears.

• Your child should avoid blowing his or her nose too hard.

• Ask your surgeon if your child should use ear plugs when bathing or swimming to protect against getting water in the ears.

• It's OK to travel in airplanes after having ear tubes placed. The ear tubes will help even out air pressure inside and outside the ear.

If you haven't already, schedule a follow-up ear exam with your child's health care professional. If he or she recommends it, also schedule a hearing test.

• Your child can't keep any fluids down or keeps vomiting.

• Your child develops a fever higher than 102°F (38.9°C).

• Your child has new ear pain or pain that doesn't go away with medication.

• The prescribed eardrops cause discomfort.

• One or both of your child's ears drain for more than 7 days after surgery.

• Your child develops yellowish-green ear drainage, or has a bad smell coming from the ear.

• An ear tube falls out in the first few weeks.

• You notice more than a teaspoon of blood in the ear drainage.

• Your child develops severe ear pain.