Tympanostomy Tubes
Ear ventilation tubes (or vent tubes, grommet, T-tube, ear tube, pressure equalization tube, vent, PE tube, tympanostomy tube or myringotomy tube) is a very small tubes which placed in the eardrum. These tubes also called as myringotomy tubes, tympanostomy tubes or pressure equalization (PE) tubes.
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| Ear Tubes |
The operation to insert a vent tube is very safe, simple, and quick. The ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist makes a very small cut in the eardrum and puts a vent tube in one or both ears. The vent tubes cause no pain or hearing loss.
Indiciations of Ventilation Tube Operation
In children, a vent tube operation is usually done under general anesthesia at a hospital or surgery center. In adults, it may be performed in an office visit.
Pictured above on the left, fluid and air bubbles showing in the behind the eardrum due to serous otitis media. On the right photograph, after the T tube inseriton, the liquid and air bubbles are disappeared.
Ear tubes are often recommended for children who have persistent fluid buildup behind the eardrum, especially if the condition causes hearing loss and affects speech development.
Ear Ventilation Tube Operation
In children, a vent tube operation is usually done under general anesthesia at a hospital or surgery center. In adults, it may be performed in an office visit.
Pictured above on the left, fluid and air bubbles showing in the behind the eardrum due to serous otitis media. On the right photograph, after the T tube inseriton, the liquid and air bubbles are disappeared.
Ear tubes are often recommended for children who have persistent fluid buildup behind the eardrum, especially if the condition causes hearing loss and affects speech development.
Ventilation Tube (Grommet) Insertion - Animation
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| Ventilation Tube (Grommet) Insertion - Animation |
- Incision made into tympanic membrane
- Tube placed with using of forceps
- Grommet tube in place
Ear ventilation tube protects the eardrum from negative pressure effects!
Because of chronic negative pressure, permanent structural changes in the eardrum may occur in children with eustachian dysfunction. Particularly for more than 3 months, there may be retraction pockets in the eardrum and the middle ear ossicles affected by the vacuum effect gradually inward. The ear ventilation tube prevents negative effects on the eardrum by ensuring the equalization of the pressure between the middle ear and the external environment.
Ear Ventilation Tube Operation Cost
In children, ear ventilation tube insertion is usually performed together with adenoidectomy operation. Ear ventilation tube insertion fee alone varies between 1000-1500 US Dollars. In addition to the adenoidectomy operation in the breaber, an additional 1000-1500 US dollars procedure fee can be added.
Can Ear Ventilation Tube Operation Be Done Under Local Anesthesia?
In adult patients, ear tube insertion can be performed in office conditions after local anesthetic injection into the external ear canal and local anesthetic-impregnated cotton placed on the eardrum. Sedation anesthesia can also be performed under hospital conditions, especially in patients with a high sensitivity to pain. However, ear ventilation tube operation in children is difficult to perform in office conditions.
How to Remove the Ear Ventilation Tube?
Since it is a procedure that usually takes only a few seconds in office conditions, it can be easily performed with an alligator forceps, accompanied by a microscope or an endoscope. Throughout my professional life, I did not accept any of my pediatric patients to receive anesthesia for ear ventilation tube removal, and I preferred to do it under office conditions.
Patient Care After Ear Ventilation Tube Operation
In the first few hours after the procedure, blood may come from the ear. Generally, in children with chronic serous otitis media, the tympanic membrane may become close to normal immediately after insertion of the ear ventilation tube, and after the fluid has been aspirated, the patients may notice that their hearing level has risen to normal when they reach the bed. Until the ear ventilation tube is removed, the ear must be protected from water contact. It is inconvenient to enter the pool and the sea without consulting your doctor.
Acute Otitis Media Symptoms May Change in Children With Ear Ventilation Tube Placed!
In patients with a tube in the eardrum, when middle ear inflammation occurs, only inflammatory ear discharge (sometimes bloody) can be seen without fever and pain as the inflammation will drain out. It may be appropriate to inform parents about this issue. Sometimes, when the inflammatory discharge is excessive, the ear tube may separate and be expelled from the external auditory canal.
T-Tubes can stay in the eardrum for longer!
Ear ventilation tubes have different shapes. The fixative parts of the Shepard and golden grommet tubes under the eardrum are in the form of a small protrusion and sometimes they can be separated from their place with just a simple ear discharge and fall into the external ear canal. Ear ventilation tubes, which are T-Tubes, can remain in the eardrum unless the doctor removes them himself. Especially in patients with chronic serous otitis media or mucoid otitis, in patients with structural changes in the eardrum (such as a retraction pocket), I generally prefer to place a 1.14 mm diameter T-Tp and keep the tube in place for at least 2 years.
Link group where you can find detailed information about ear ventilation on this website >> https://www.ent-istanbul.com/search?q=Ear+Ventilation+
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Murat Enoz, MD, Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgeon - ENT Doctor in Istanbul
Private Office:
Address: İncirli Cad. No:41, Kat:4 (Dilek Patisserie Building), Postal code: 34147, Bakırköy - İstanbul
Appointment Phone: +90 212 561 00 52
Appointment Phone: +90 212 561 00 52
Fax: +90 212 542 74 47
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