Chronic Ear Infections - Chicago,IL

M.,

There are people who will tell you not to put tubes in and people who will tell you it's the best thing they ever did. I was also torn when my son had 6 double-ear infections in 5 months, and I heard advice from both sides.
The issue was, he'd be on the antibiotics which would clear up the infection, but it did nothing for draining the fluid in his ears. So as soon as the antibiotics were done, the infection would start all over again in that stagnant fluid. I certainly didn't want my son on antibiotics for months on end, since there will surely come a time when he needs them for something more serious than an ear infection, and I certainly don't want him to "immune" to the antibiotics by that time! So we did choose to have tubes put in.
It was literally 10 minutes between when they took him out of my arms and when they came out to get us when they were done. It was so quick!
My suggestion to you is this: if you decide to have it done, make sure a PEDIATRIC otoroncologist performs the surgery, and a PEDIATRIC anesthesiologist is on-hand to administer the anesthesia. I'm not knocking those doctors who treat all ages, I just think it will make you as the parent feel more secure knowing that your child is in the hands of people who work with child-size surgeries and medications every single day. (I can't say enough about Children's Memorial. If there's one near you, go there.)
Good luck to you! I know it's a tough decision!

Your son will be fine, don't worry. My son had the same problem - 9 ear infections by the time he was 11 months old. We finally had the tubes put in just before his first birthday and it was the best decision. It's hard to watch them come out of the anesthesia. He will cry, but it is normal. Just hold him, he will want mommy. That short period after surgery is nothing compared to watching them go through the pain and discomfort of recurring ear infections and constant antibiotics. He will forget all about it. We had the tubes done again the day after his third birthday (as kids grow the tubes fall out) along with a tonsillectomy because he was getting high fevers and sore throats. He is 10 years old now and has BARELY been sick at all in the past 7 years. Best thing we ever did for him. Best wishes to you!
F.

Hi M.,
My daughter had chronic ear infections starting at 1 year (about the same time we started dairy products). After a year & a half & a bunch of infections we cut back on her dairy intake. We then read an article that regular visits to a chiropractor can help reduce or eliminate ear infections. After about 4 months of treatments twice a weeek, her infections were cut in half. After 6 months she stopped having them. She is now 6 & we still take her once a week to the chiropractor. I believe proper alignment of the spine (especially in the neck) helps your body & immune system work more efficiently. I was never a big advocate of chiropractic care until I saw the difference with my daughter. Now our whole family goes for regular adjustments.

P.S. I've also read that babies 6 months & older who use pacifiers are twice as likely to get ear infections then babies who don't. If your son uses a pacifier you need to wean him from it ASAP.

M., my name is G. and I have the most beautiful 5 year old boy who has had recurring ear infections since he was two months old. After numerous rounds of antibiotics and doctor visits I took him to Children's Memorial where he had tubes placed. I would say the initial placement isn't painful for the child, it's the after shock of waking up and realizing they're not in a familiar environment! It may be more daunting to us as well!They are after all our babies! Be aware that most children who have had numerous antibiotics given at an early age can have some tooth softening leading to other problems later on. I was painfully unaware of this until much later in my sons life.Get him to a pediatric dentist as soon as possible to ensure his tooth health! Other than that, I would say prepare yourself for what your son might experience after surgery. The world volume is turned up all of a sudden and some noises and sounds might be scary for him at first!Should you feel the need to talk further please e-mail me at:____@____.com Good luck!

M.,
I understand your fear, my son had the same problem along with enlarged adnoids and I had the tubes put in & the adnoidectomy in March of this year. It was the hardest yet best decision we made for our son. Knock on wood he hasn't been sick since. We took him on vacation to Florida last month I was nervous that all the swiming would be an issue - and nothing Thank God! Before everytime we took him swiming he would be sick for 2 weeks with an ear infection. I will tell you that if you decide to do the procedure it will be much harder on you. I was a horrible wreck for those 30 minutes and couldn't stop crying - I want to cry now just thinking about it. When he came out of the surgery he was fine, but pissed, couldn't understand why he had an IV, which they took out after he ate a popsicle. Then he ate a full breakfast, eggs, sausage and a biscuit and for dinner bbq ribs (his choice) You would never have known he had surgery that am. I would recommend you do it now while your son isn't too mobile because it is very hard to keep a small child from running and jumping for a week. Good luck and God Bless!

Hi M.,

Both of my kids went through the procedures and they came out fine, You want to be the 1st person they see when they wake up they will be groggy and crying but it will wear off. I was able to hold them and comfort them. Once you are in the recovery they will take you to your room and just watch. Ur son may fall back to sleep which is normal.
Be strong and you will do fine. Best of Luck.

My son had them when he was eighteen months, we have not had an ear infection since! Best decision I made for him. The procedure is really quick though. depending where you go they will bring you in as soon as he wakes up in recovery room. It can be a little overwhelming as they are out of it and crying, but as soon as i held him he calmed down. Your there for about an hour then back to outpatient and as soon as he eats and drinks you go home. Takes about 4 hours start to finish. We had no problems with the anthes.. Good luck.

My almost 2 year old got tube on May 15th. She is sometimes still suprised at the new sounds she hears. At Children's Memorial where we had it done the staff was phenomenal. They didn't need an IV because the actual OR time is only like 10 or 15 minutes. The anesthesiologist just gave her some kind of gas. She was crabby for a couple of hours after the procedure, but I was amazed how great she looked and felt by bedtime. I gave her one dose of tylenol that day and that was it in terms of pain. I'm not even 100% sure she needed it. I think it really was just crabby coming out of the gas.

When she hears new sound now she touches her ears and says "Doctor fix!" She wanted to know what color her tube were so I actually asked. They are blue. We are sleeping better and she got a cold 8 days ago and guess what...It didn't turn into an infection!

I do have to mention that she couldn't eat anything the day of the procedure and that was tough, but she was amazing. I can say that for us it was definitely the right thing to do. If you are going to do it, you might consider doing it over the summer when he is less likely to be near sick kids. If they get sick within 72 hours of surgery you get cancelled. Hope this helps!

C.

Hi M., I just want to start by saying that is way too many ear infections. Next thing is this.... tubes help for a little while only. The tubes are placed in the ear by cutting a hole in the ear drum. After that the body fights itself to push those tubes out because the body recognizes them as foreign objects that don't belong. That is why you will hear of children getting up to 8 sets of tubes in their ears. And each set causes more damage and scarring to the ear drum. I would personally suggest you try some alternative treatments first that will help fix your childs immune system. I would also get allergy tests done to see if your child is allergic to something they're eating or drinking. Also make sure your child isn't sleeping with a bottle and when sleeping rasie the head of the bed so they're ears can continually drain. These are all considerations that should be tried first. If you have more questions please ask. BTW I am a chiropractor that specializes in children in Villa Park and I see parents bring kids in all the time with failed tubes and looking for a diffenret answer through chiropractic. It does help.

Hi M. ,

My son had tubes put in his ears at 14mnths and it was the best thing we could do for him . My husband and I have no regrets . He is now 3 and hasnt had 1 ear infection since the procedure . His tubes stayed in his 1 ear for about 1 year and then the 2nd ear last a little bit longer .
I know its a little nerve racking but it is actually harder on us as parents then it is on the little one . The prodecure last all of 5-7 minutes and they are alert not too long after that . My son was running around a few hours later as if he never had the surgrey . Hang in there and know you are doing the right thing for your son

Hang in the there
K.

My son had tubes placed 1.5 years ago, and it was the best thing we could have done for him. I've no regrets. Also, he didn't have any of the crying or anger following the procedure that the others report- it was business as usual. We DID have him pre-medicated, and that might be part of it (they give a sedative prior to anesthesia). He was just dopey afterwards for a bit! GL.

Hi, M.. My son had tubes put in his ears at 8 months of age. He, too, had a string of double ear infections. What convinced me to put the tubes in was when the ENT had him go for a hearing test. I will never forget how we sat in a room with a musical toy elevated in one area of the room. Each time the toy made a sound, my son was supposed to turn around to face it (if he was hearing properly). Well, he did not. Each time they played that sound and waited for him to turn around I got a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat. He did not notice that anything was there. I knew that this was bad news regarding his language development. As much as I did not want to see him have any kind of procedure at such a young age, I knew that therer was no choice.

My doctor told me that by the time my husband and I get our coffee and sit down, the procedure would be over. Of course, we did not believe that, but it was true.

One word of advice:

MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT YOU NEED TO BE NEXT TO YOUR CHILD BEFORE HE WAKES UP!!!!!!!!!!!! I had asked them to BE SURE to call me into the room right away so that when the anasthesia wears off, my son would see one of his parents first. Otherwise, he will be very scared - especially after feeling a bit strange once he "came-to". I asked each person involved to be sure to call me in before he wakes up.

Unfortunately, that did not happen and my son was very unhappy while he was held by someone else and looking around for someone familiar. The big picture, though, was that he was OK - and your son will be, too.

GOOD LUCK and remember - this is one of the things you can remind your son of when he is 18 and tells you that you don't care about him when he wants the keys to your car-or better yet-wants his OWN car....

Take care,

L.

M.,

Have you considered regular chiropractic care? It prevents ear infections and can help with drainage in existing ones. There are some great and gentle chiropractors out there. We are seeing a great chiropractor in Oak Park and my three children hardly ever get ear infections. The great majority of his patients are children and expecting Moms. Please let me know if you'd like more info. That just may be more beneficial and less invasive for your son in the long run.

Good luck, J. K.