Each year, more than 500,000 ear tube surgeries are performed on children, making it the most common childhood surgery performed with anesthesia, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
But have you ever wondered why some kids need ear tubes and what an ear tube does inside one's ear? We caught up with Tim Lander, MD, one of Children's pediatric otolaryngologists, otherwise known as an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor, to get the scoop on why some kids need ear tubes and what the tubes do.
According to Dr. Lander there are two primary reasons that children need ear tubes. "One reason is recurrent middle ear infections; the other is a problem with persistent fluid in the ear, which is usually found because a child is experiencing hearing loss," Lander said.
Typically, there are two common times that children need ear tubes: between the ages of 15 months and three years (usually because of recurrent ear infections) or between the ages of four and six (typically to treat hearing loss due to fluid build–up).
So why does this happen and how do tubes help?
"The bottom line is that there is fluid trapped behind the eardrum," Lander explained. Typically the Eustachian tube in our ears works by allowing air in and fluid to drain out. If the Eustachian tube doesn't open, the fluid can't get out, in turn causing either an infection or hearing loss, sometimes both.
"By placing a hole in the ear drum with a small stent, air pressure is allowed to not only come in, but the tube also allows the fluid to drain out," Lander said.
The most common kind of ear tubes are grommet tubes which are not permanent and eventually fall out on their own 8-15 months after surgery. There is also a t-tube that is used less often that is specifically designed to stay in one's ear indefinitely.
