Recovery Expectations

My niece went through the same thing when she was about that age. From what I saw of her after the operation, she was just her normal self. Like you said she will be a bit groggy from the anestesia but after the first day she should be okay.

I would get a 2nd opinion before doing the tubes. My son had terrible ear infections for the first 2 years of his life. He was the only one in the family that did not get tubes. I took him to an ear specialist who put him on one winter of antibiotic prophalaxsis and he never had an ear infection since. The children who got the tubes lost them, had trouble from them or other problems and continued to get infections.

My son was 2 and half when he got tubes in both his ears. It was amazing. I was so worried about how he would be when he came out and when he came home. He was fine. Tired but up and running around by that afternoon. People came over to visit and all he wanted to do was play. I kept trying to limit his activities, but I could not keep him down. Every kid is different, so I hope you have a great experience like we did.

Hi C.,

My 20 month old just had tubes put in his ears in the beginning of Feb. He was groggy when he came out of the anesthesia and came out quick so he was crying but after we got home and he ate and napped he was right back to himself running around. I did give him Tylenol during that day and the next day. After that he was totally fine.
Hope that helps! Good luck!

K.

Hi C.,
I too had the same problem with my daughter, we tried gloves,even hot sauce. What really workied is the dentist put a mouth guard behind her upper teeth, she could not get her thumb up on the roof of her mouth. Ask your dentist about this. Good Luck. M. B

I have a ton of experience with this, unfortunately!
My first DD had 3 sets, middle had 2 sets and my youngest has had 1 set. They have been a godsend for us, no further ear infections after! Anyway, the procedure is so fast! They are in and out of the operating room within a few minutes, maybe 15 minutes max. As far as after, my kiddos were somewhat cranky and groggy for a bit, but after a couple of hours, pretty much back to normal. I did try to keep them more quiet for the rest of the day. Movies, stories, etc. Where is your daughter having the procedure done?
Good Luck!

C.
Mommy to Jessie (9), Katie (7) and Julia (2 ½)
www.TimetoChangetheDiapers.com
Adorable, affordable cloth diapers and reusable items for babies, kids and Moms

Hello, My daughter had tubes put in her ears when she was 3 and she is now 6. I don't recall any major problems recovering.The worst part was in the recovery room afterwards, she screamed terrible for about 15 min. For a few days after the procedure we gave her tylenol for discomfort but other than that it all went good and no ear infections since. Hope this is of some help. Good Luck

I had a tube put in one of my ears last year at age 50+. My point of view may be different. I did not need to be anethtisised as a child would because when they said stay perfectly still I could. So that part is different. The procedure was over in 5 minutes or less for me. They laid me on a table in an operating room. I got a local shot for pain. The nurse held my head and Doc said don't move a muscle. He had an instrument like a gun that shot the tube into place. Click - it was over. He checked it out and said go home. You can resume your regular activities right away. My husband was so surprised to see me walk into the waiting room. He didn't even have time to drink a cup of coffee. There was no real pain but there was a nagging sense that something is in your ear. Every so often now I feel a pinch in my ear but it goes away--feels a little like I got poked or touched by a dull pin or toothpick. That's all. I also taught first grade for 32 years and saw many kids come into class the afternoon of their surgery. They were fine. And boy what a difference it makes when you can hear, feel well, and don't have that constant pressure and pain in your ear. Good luck. Hope this helped.

Hello C..
I'm a speech language pathologist, and I have personally referred MANY of my students for an ENT evaluation for esp. tubes and tonsils... if you have survived tonsil, then tubes are nothing. If anything, you might have to lower your voice when yelling at the other children, or you may have to turn the radio down. The procedure is very quick. AND in the Buffalo, NY area the hospitals are allowing mothers to go in until the child is out w/gas. Then asked to leave. This is not advertised, but you never know what is allowed until you ask. That is the worst part when they take her from you! I think tubes should be placed at birth, to end ear infections and promote regular speech/sound development. I hope this helps! sincerely, K. L. mother, slp, arbonne independent consultant, ____@____.com

I don't know if it will give you any piece of mind, but I had those tubes put into my ears years ago, and there was no pain during the imput nor afterwards! Yes, it did help with the "clogged" ear feeling and I never experienced any pain.

Good Luck!

My son had tubes when he was 3. He was groggy for only a few hours. They he was up and ready to go by dinner. Just snuggle with her and baby her until she feels better. I bet by the next day she will be back to normal.

Hi C.,
Try not to worry too much, my oldest son has had six sets of tubes in both ears as well as his adenoids and tonsils removed. Each time he was a little different but he bounced back right away. He was a little cranky right after each surgery but was up and about within a few hours at home. Wishing you lots of luck and although I know it is not easy not to worry, it is a simple procedure I am sure you will be happy with the results.
Wishing you all the best!
S. Messina
www.beautifulisskindeep.myarbonne.com (home business owner)

My son had tubes at 13 months and has since had 3 more tube surgeries. when he got out of surgery, he cried until i could pick him up ( i think partly because they wake up in a totally different room than where they went to sleep and not there is an IV in there hand) I think he was just scared. when we got home he was cranky and i gave him motrin as a just in case, but he was not crying at all. He went on with his day as if he had no surgery at all. As he got older he was able to tell me that he actually felt better because the pressure was gone and he could hear better. I hope this helps, sorry if it doesn't. Good Luck

I hope you get some good info because my 13 month old is going in on the 12 for tubes also and I am a nervous wreck. He has had 7 ear infections since October and his ears constantly have fluid. Luckily he is on target with speech so far as far as babbling and repeating some animal sounds and stuff like that. Good luck to you and your little one!! I hope all goes well!!

Hi C.,

My daughter has had two ear surgeries so far- the first one was just tubes when she was 2yrs old, and the second time was tubes again and adenoids removed when she was 3 1/2 yrs old. The recovery was just fine for both. The doctor said she may be groggy and tired from the anesthesia, but that wasn't even the case the first time around. She got home and was her usual self although, not suprisingly, she did think everyone sounded louder. After the second surgery, (which was of course longer than the first since more was being done) she was a little sleepy upon arriving home, but then after a long nap was just fine. The hardest part was when we were still at the hospital in the recovery room. When she came out of the anesthesia, she was a bit disoriented and scared, and cried for a bit both times. The only pain she ever expressed was from the IV in her arm for the second surgery, she never complained once about her ears either time. I would imagine that any pain would be minimal and nothing that a little tylenol wouldn't take care of.

I hope this is helpful. Good luck with everything!

Sincerely,
K.
(Stay-at-home mom of three)

Hey there C.,

My name is H. and my son had this done at 1. I was just like you , a nervous reck. But relax. It's worse for the parent. Yeah she's gonna be groggy, but only for a little while. She'll be more pissed that you have to put drops in her ears than anything. My son was so mad at me because they took him back and of course we're not allowed to go with him, that when he came back and was laying there, he wouldn't even look at me. LOL. He was back to himself before the day was over. It's so quick, the two of you might wonder if they did anything at all. Don't worry. Give her a sense that this is nothing to worry about and that it's all just another check up. She'll never know the difference. Good luck.

Hi C.,
I went through the same anxiety with my daughter. When she awoke from the procedure, she threw up a little from the anesthesia but then looked at me and said "mommy, I can hear you now." It put tears in my eyes that I didn't do the procedure earlier but I was scared to put her through it. She has had alot of issues. first we did the tubes and adnoids, then one year later had to repeat the tubes and remove her tonsils. Then she had to have a third set of tubes put in. Now they are coming out again but I don't think we will need to repeat the procedure. You will need to get ear plugs. It is very painful when water gets in her ears. I like the waxy kind that are flourescent pink. (you can see them in the water if they fall out. Make sure that you don't break off a piece that is too small. My daughter had a piece stuck in her ear.

The recovery is pretty much instaneous. My daughter was fine when we left the hospital. I spoiled her with Ice Cream and tv in my bed and she was fine the same day. Don't worry, it is more scarey for you than them.

My daughter had tubes inserted one year ago and I was sooo nervous. The worst of the experience for us was when she came out of the anestesia. She was hysterical crying and screaming, she didn't want anyone to touch her,only me. We were released from the hospital within an hour of the procedure and she slept the whole way home (20 minutes). When we got home she woke up and it was like she had forgotten what had just happened. The procedure is such a relief to the constant ear infections. The ten minutes of crying is not that bad in retrospect. Good Luck!

Hi C.,
My son had tubes put in both ears at 13 months (now 4). When we got home, it was as if he had nothing done. Then at 2 1/2 he had one put back in, since it fell out and he got another infection, as well as getting his adnoids removed. Again, by the time we got home, he was acting his normal self. I just gave him Motrin each time, just in case he was uncomfortable. The tubes and adnoid removal were the best decision, even though it was a difficult one to make. Good luck!

My son had tubes put in last February, when he was 4 1/2 years old. He was slow to wake from the anesthesia, but came out just fine. His body jerked a bit, which was frightening to me. The nurse told me this was a common reaction, but I mention it because it hadn't come up in discussion with anyone else along the way.

When we left the hospital, he chose Friendly's for lunch and chowed down! Once we got home, he took a long nap. He had some fluid drain out of his ears while he was sleeping for the first 2 days. The pain wasn't so bad for him after surgery, especially compared to what he was enduring before surgery.

Good luck to you and your baby!

I know your anxiety all too well. My son who is now 22 months old had tubes when he was 13 months. I too was very nervous not so much about the actual procedure but what it was going to be like when we brought him home. I can tell you I was astonished. It was like nothing even happened to him, we brought him home , gave him a little something to eat because of course they can't have anything before the surgery. Before too long he was running around outside with no clothes on(it was July and HOT that day)having the time of his life. The nurses told me to give him Tylenol if he seemed irritated. I think we gave it to him just in case so he would take a good nap, we were up very early that morning. For as many reservations that I had about it in the beginning, we are so happy that we had it done and he has not had an ear infection since. We just had a six month appt at the ENT and everything is going wonderful. HIs ears look good, the tubes are doing what they are supposed to be doing and his hearing is awesome. THe most wonderful thing I can say about having this done is he is not in constant pain with the infections like he was before and that to me is worth everything. I hope all goes well with your daughter and let us know the outcome.
Take Care,
H. M.

Although it's been a number of years since my son had this procedure done....and he was a bit older...about 18 months....once he was fully awake and recovered from the anesthesia he was himself..he had no ill effects from the anesthesia and no pain to speak of...his father and I had promised him a treat after it was all over and on the way home in the car......he asked if the treat could be a trip to McDonalds!!!!

The actual recovery was a breeze and he had no complications. We had a bit of adjustment making sure that the ear plugs for bath time were in just right....but after a while that too became very easy.

For us, doing the tubes was the absolutely best thing we could have done....it ended the endless trips to the pediatrician for ear infections and the constant antibiotics.

Best of luck to you and your little one.

My son had his first set of tubes at 7 months old and had no problems whatsoever the day of or after. The doctor even said we could take him to his swimming class two days later. I just gave tylenol after the surgery for the rest of that day and the next day you wouldn't even have known what he had gone through. In January he had a second set of tubes put in and his adenoids out. The day of the surgery he was a little groggy but the next day again, you never would have known. I think they bounce back so quickly.

Hi C.,

My daughter had her tubes put in when she was 18 months old and it was no big deal. I of course fretted, but she seemed absolutely fine. The only thing that was a little upsetting was when she came out from the anastesia (I know that is spelled wrong) she kept crying and was difficult to calm down. The nurses said it was completely normal and it only lasted about 20 minutes. As soon as she hit her car seat she was fine. She slept a bit more than usual when she got home but was completely fine the next day. She did not at any time appear to be in any pain. She was on antibiotics at the time of her surgery though to insure that she was free of infection because she couldn't get rid of her ear infections.

She had tubes put in because she kept getting the recurring ear infections and was not talking at 18 months. She had the tubes in and 2 months later the words came flying out of her! She was in speech therapy for 10 months, but those tubes are the reason she learned to talk.

More information that you probably wanted, but the surgery truly is not a big deal. I would ask the hospital what you can bring for her to drink after her surgery. I had brought milk, but when I got there they told me that she wasn't allowed to drink that after the surgery. Fortunately, I happened to have a few juice boxes with me. So I would just check with them ahead of time, as they wanted her to have had something to drink before leaving.

Good luck!

My son had tubes put in at 17 months after repeated bouts of ear infections. He was very tired and cranky afterwards from the anestheia, but within a couple of hours and after a dose or 2 of tylenol, he was much like his usual self. I continued to give him tylenol the next few days. We were able to take him to daycare the next day. We did notice that he was very quiet the first 3 days or so, especially at daycare (which was unusual for him). We figured out that it was because he was hearing so much better, it either bothered him because of the loudness or he was just taking it all in. Within 2 weeks, he was much more talkative and doesn't seem to have any damaging effects of all the infections.

It looks like my 9 month old daughter is on that same path.

Good Luck!

My son had tubes put in at the same age. It took about 15 minutes it seemed. I didn't even have time to worry. When he woke up, he cried for a few hours because of the confusion from the anesthia. If I remember correctly, he was grumpy for the the rest of the day, and then perfectly fine the next day! Within a week, he had 5 new words! It was the best decision we ever made. Good luck, and try not to worry ;).

Liz

Hi,
I'm not sure if your open to this but I had to tell you. I work for a chiropracter and he has so much success with Children that needed tubes put in there ears. Believe it or not a few manipulations they didn't need the surgery.

Hi C.,

Two of my girls had the procedure done (one of them twice) One at 12 months and the other at 9 months. They both did really well. In the days after the surgery, there will be a lot of drainage from the ears. It will be mixed blood and yellowish fluid...don't freak out it is good and normal. The doctor may give you drops to put in the ears for a couple of days. Your daughter will not be doing too much in the couple of days after but within about a week or so she should be back to normal! Good Luck!

Hi C.,

My daughter ( 2 ) just had her second set of tubes put in about three weeks ago. Have no fear! It is worse for us then them. Believe it or not, they don't even show signs of having anything done by the time you get them home. She had her first set put in when she was 12 months and we did not even need Tylenol. This time I thought maybe a year later she would feel more, none! We didn't need anything. She was running around the house like nothing even happened. The hospital I use, they will give her a Tylenol suppository before coming into recovery and I think that is what does the trick. It is a simple thing they do and super fast. Good luck and I hope this settles your nerves a little.

My daughter had tubes put in her ears last April. The procedure is all of 5 minutes. The only problem my daugther had and the doctor said it was common is she cried alot coming off of the anesthesia. By the time we got to the car and started driving she fell asleep. Other than that she was fine. The tubes have been a blessing. My daughter had chronic ear infections before the tubes, and now she has not had one. They are totally worth it.

Do not worry! I was terrified when my son went through this, but it really is very minor. The hardest thing was signing the consent form. They let me go back and hold him while they put him to sleep, and by the time I got back to the waiting room the whole thing was done. He was groggy coming out of the anesthesia, but after about an hour he was fine and we went to lunch and the playground that afternoon. It really was amazing! And the benefits were incredible - no more ear infections and me walking the halls all night because it hurt him to lay down. You will be fine!

Hi C..

My 3 year old daughter had tubes put in her ears and had her adnoids out last month. Honestly she was absolutely fine after the anesthesia wore off. The absolute worst part of the entire procedure was having to hold her down on the table while they gave her the gas. She was a bit weapy when she woke up and was a little tired the rest of the day but after that you'd never know she had anything done. Make sure you get the earplugs done as soon as possible so bathtimes aren't too stressful on you and you'll be just fine. Good luck.

xoxo

My son had his tubes in at 10 months. After the surgery when he was waking up from the anesthesia he screamed for several hours and acted like he did not know us. This is apparently very normal in babies. He took a nap that morning after the procedure and still woke up screaming. The next day, he was a new person! He finally started sleeping through the night, which he had never done before that.

Good luck!!

Hi,
My son had ear tubes put in when he was 2 and I just wish we had done it sooner! Our pediatrician advised prophyllactic antibiotics, which translated into 2 winters worth of being on antibiotic all the time and I can't help wondering what that did to his immune system. My sister is a speech pathologist and she finally told me to demand tubes if I had to - at any rate, my son was groggy that first day, but was old enough to tell me that his ears didn't really hurt and he only had tylenol one day - after that he went back to doing his normal routine - only better, because he could Hear!!!
One quick note though, he was extremely sound sensitive afterwards and I've heard that from other moms too, so if you bring your daughter to the movies etc. when she gets bigger, be sure to bring ear plugs
Good luck, I know it's hard, but it is soooo worth it!!!!

My daughter (6 years old) just had tubes put in her ears in December of 2007. By the time we returned home from the hospital she was her regular self. She wanted to play with her new toys from Christmas instead of relaxing. She didn't complain about pain at all. She was back to her usual active self. I've spoken to friends whos have had the procedure done on there children and they didn't deal with any pain as well.

My 10 year old had tubes at 2 years old, and my 4 year old had 3 sets. When they come out of the anestheisa they will be unconsolable. When your older kids had their tonsils out, you could explain things to them in advance, but with an 8-1/2 month old you can't. We woke them up right before leaving for the hospital and put them in the car in their jammies (since they can't have a bottle) and off we went and they would fall asleep in the car again. Beforehand, she might be crying for her bottle. The hospital let us hold the mask over their faces when they were putting them out (which was the hardest part for me). By the time I got back to the waiting area and picked up a newspaper (not that I could really read it cause that was my baby they had in there), the procedure was done. When they first come out of the anestheia they are flipping out and crying and fussing (wouldn't you be? They don't understand where they are). Once they fall asleep again for a nap and then wake up they are fine...completely fine. I don't remember grogginess at all. When my first had tubes the docs didn't tell me about the crying after anesthesia, a friend did, and I am so glad she did or I would've been really upset!

C.
Every child is indeed different and will go through this differently. My nephew had this done when he was 3 and cried as he was coming out of the anesthesia. This was due to fear more than anything. Just cuddle and hold her, make her feel safe and she should be just fine. My nephew also fussed with the ear drops that had to be put in, but as far as the tubes, he was just fine. Good luck.

Hi-
I Hear ya loud & clear!
I had tubes in my ears from infant until about middle school...I was also almost deaf and had a severe speech impediment as a child and still do because my tougue is too big for my mouth more or less....(short story)
I remember going in the last 2 times (Bostons Children Ctr,Boston & FAHC). I was groggy for a day or so & I guess I didn't respond well to being nocked out. The hardest thing to remember is not to get water in the ears!!

There will be some discomfort but Baby tylonol works well for a couple of days then discomfort) it goes away as things heal. They will play with their ears!
They might seems a bit "disoriented" or sensative to sound being they can "hear it" now....try to keep it genrally quiet for the 1st 48 hrs or have the "loudness" be in a different part of the house or outside. Explain to the other people in the house what is going on and it's not funny, No one laughed at them when they had their thing done!

I don't know if you're doing "speech" therapy or not but see what your docot recommends for sound stimulations, reactions etc. If they don't nessisarily react like normal it's ok!!

The hard part is getting them (tubes)out unless they fall out on their own! (hope they do!!) and depending on the antibiotics, that might be a challenge too! watch for allergic reactions w/ sulfur based drugs. (at that age they can have a reaction to a napkin!)If you can get something you can mix with yogurt or something it might help alot!!
Good luck! J.

My son had tubes put in at 9 1/2 months. The best thing we ever did. Afterwards he was very thirsty for water and juice, we gave him lots of fluids to keep him hydrated. 10 hours later he had very high fever. The doctors think it was because he was still fighting off an old infection and also they suction out all the infected uss in the ear canal, after a few days of the ear drops his ears were perfect and clear. They still are 5 months later. Good luck.

My son had them put in at four years old...and his biggest problem was not with pain, but noise. The tubes make them able to hear better and clearer, and regular noise is what hurt him at first, sometimes so much that he would cry and say that things were too loud and cover his ears. Your daughter is much younger and cannot express if things are too loud for her, so I just wanted to give you a heads up on that. Try to keep things a little quiet, especially at first until she gets used to it. Good luck to you!

Hi C.! I am new to this website/boards but I know how you feel. My daughter had her tonsils and adnoids taken out and tubes put in her ears all at the same time many many years ago (10 to be exact). But, she came through with flying colors and did GREAT. Kids are SO resilient - your daughter will do fine. It is such a simple procedure and when she comes out of her grogginess, by the next day, she'll probably be back to "normal" and you won't be able to tell that she had surgery (in most cases).

As the doctor said, every child is different, but they do these procedures so regularly now that it's just not such a big deal (to the dr.s at least). But as a mom, I know how scary it can be at the thought of your little baby going under anesthesia and having something done that we, as moms, feel is trumatic. We are just natural born worriers, especially when it comes to our own children. I guess what I'm saying is try not to worry - everything should and will be fine. The surgery probably won't even last more than 10-30 minutes at the very most (in most cases). But, you as a mom, will know if something is wrong or doesn't "feel" right - you, better than anyone know your child and her normal actions in day to day life. If you feel something isn't right, consult your doctor just to be safe. Even if everything turns out to be fine, it's always better to be safe than sorry, if it is a real concern to you. Hope this helps. (((BIG HUGS))) Trac~ :)

My daugher had tubes put in 2 years ago. She is 4 and we are in the process of scheduling hers to be removed because they are still in.
On the day of her surgery getting them put in she was groggy during recovery. When we got home we sat in the chair together and watched a movie. By that afternoon she was up and playing back to herself. The following day she was back at the sitters house with no limitations.
She didn't complain of any pain I gave her Tylenol during the first 24 hours just in case. She was a little older when hers were put in. She told me the man put a mask on her face and she didn't like that. That was the only thing she told us never mentioned anything else about it. She suffered ear infections from about 8 months until they put them in. The best thing and she (knock on wood) hasn't had an ear infection since.
Good Luck...

My daughter and three neices/ nephew had tube surgery. My daughter waqs 20 months old and was crankey when she woke up. She was better on the ride home once she was given something light to eat. Running around within 5 hours of surgery.
Hope it helps

C.,

My daughter was about the same age when she got her tubes in. You know that this the best decision you are making by getting tubes put in his ear. Don't worry, he will be fine. You will be more nervous than he is but be strong for him. My hospital had me walk her into the Surgery Room and chat with her and hold her hands until they placed her gas mask on. That was scary!!! well for me. She did the deer in the headlights look and dropped her little hands out of my hands her chest caved in as she was breathing and it was so hard to see her laying there. But I knew I had to be strong and that this was the right thing to do. Of course, I left crying wiped my tears told my husband I will never do that again and went to get coffee, within 10 minutes they were looking for me because she was in the recovery room crying. Its a strange thing for them to be knocked out. She cried for a long time and yes was groggy and tired during the ride home. But, next day she was back to her happy self. The ear tube is smaller than a piece of rice. So, its tiny. Make sure that you don't get water in his ears you might have to get plugs made for them. But, they will tell you all about that. PS. Insurance doesn't cover that. Good Luck to you and the baby. Remember be strong for him. Its ok..:-)

S.

After more than 10 ear infections since birth, our daughter had to have ear tubes place when she was 12 months old. Honestly, she should have had them placed sooner but I was too nervous and part of me hoped that it would be something that magically went away. We went in very early to the hospital- I cried when they brough us a miniture sized hospital gown for her- but they wrapped her up in a hot blanket and walked her into surgery. The procedure took roughly 15 minutes tops and we were being paged to meet her in recovery. The hardest part was the effect of the medicine on her which made her scream and cry unlike anything we had ever experienced. I recommend having a bottle or sippy because they are very thirsty after the procedure. Having cheerios or something to munch on helped with the crying as well. Since the surgery, we have had a healthy daughter that hasn't had any ear infections and she is now talking more. She is a new, happier baby with a huge increase in speach and hearing. I hope this helps.

My son was about the same age when he has his tubes put it, after an entire Fall/Winter/Spring of battling one ear infection after another. It was his first surgery of three in his first couple of years. The ear tubes was a very simple procedure; I don't recall any special recovery issues. There was no pain that we could tell--just the grogginess you already described.

The only thing that surprised me was that, although I knew that I would be holding him in the OR while they sedated him (and then leaving quickly so they could begin the procedure), I was not prepared for seeing him actually go under. His eyes rolled back and he became suddenly limp, instantly "going to sleep". Then they quickly took him and gently but firmly whisked me out so they could begin. I found that very upsetting to see (yet I would not have let anyone else go in with him instead of me!). But 15 minutes later we were able to see him again as he started to come to. He did not vomit or anything, but was very disoriented and crying.

He did experience one additional ear infection within a couple weeks of the surgery, and then not another one since (knock wood). He's 5 1/2 yrs old now. Best of luck to you and your child.

My daughter was 20 months old when she had her tubes put in. She was not happy when she came out of the anesthesia at all! Some kids react like that. If I hadn't been warned by another mom that might happen I would've freaked out. It took her about 15 minutes after she woke up to calm down in the recovery room. Besides that she didn't have much pain at all. By the time we got home about 2 hours from surgery she was feeling much better. She was just a little quieter that day. The surgery was only about 15 minutes. She just had her tonsils out in Jan.(at 3 yrs old) and the recovering from the tubes was a piece of cake compared to the recovery from the tonsils.
My advice since your child is younger than mine was is to get some help for that day and possibly the next day with your other kids(depending on how old they are). I don't know if the younger the child the more time they need to recover. The doctor can tell you better.
Good luck! S.

My daughter had the procedure twice once at 15 months and once at around 2 1/2 years old. It is the simpliest procedure around, she will have no pain that a little Tylenol can't help and you will be surprised at how little she is effected by the procedure. She may have some swelling that will change the sound of her voice, this will go away by the next day. Don't worry about it, she will be groggy and sleepy and my daughter cried a lot when coming out of the anestesia. Then she took a nice long nap and when she woke up she was back to her old self again. One thing, she may not want to take a bottle right away, just give her some time and let her go at her own pace. Good Luck!!

My daughter had this procedure done at 11 months. The worst part was when she awoke from the anesthesia and just cried. The doctor said that was normal and that's just how babies deal with the confusion of it all. As soon as we got home, it was amazing at how normal she acted. No pain, just laughing and running around the house as if nothing had happened!

Hi C.,

Are these T-tubes or the first set of tubes? My son has had both. The first set of tubes went in when he was 1 year old...an easier procedure than the second T-tubes that went in when he was 2. The first set had little anestheia and he was groggy for about 1/2 hour when he came out of surgery. He was in there for all of 10 minutes. He was senistive to noise for the first day and I kept him quiet but other than that he was a champ.
The T-Tubes were a longer procedure but what was harder was he had his adnoids taken out at the same time. The anethesia was harder on him to come out of this time and he was groggy for almost 1 1/2 in the recovery room....his throat was sore for 5-7 days and the recovery was longer than the doctor's 2-3 days that he thought.

The tubes both times were a god send...he had been on antibiotics since he was 9 months old for constant ear infections and then he was losing his hearing...the first set of tubes fell out in a year but he did not have an ear infection for that entire year...then the T-Tubes did the same trick - we took them out this year (they stay in 3 years) and he speaks wonderfully and hears great..and so far so good no ear infections.

Good Luck.

Don't worry everything will be fine, I had this done 3 times as a child and my son also had it done once when he was a child. There really isn't any pain to worry about. It's just like any other procedure when they put you to sleep, the stuff they put you out with can make your stomach uneasy for the day but thats about it. Rest for the rest of the day and something lite like soup for the stomach is what I would recommend.
J. S.

My youngest has had 3 sets of tubes out in her ears -
The great thing is, there is no post surgery pain, even on the first day.
She will be groggy the first day from the anesthesia, no doubt, but only on the day of surgery.
The only other thing that happened is that she threw up in the recovery room after surgery - that too is from the anesthesia, and not really a big deal.
What I will say is that the first time she had the tubes out in, at around the same age as your daughter, she was crying quite hysterically for an hour (the doctor told me it's ususally from disorientation at that age - again no pain).
I will tell you that the tubes were well worth it, both in the decreas in ear infections and resultant use of antibiotics, and the fact tat my daughter could actually hear after the procedure.

I hope this helps.

Good luck.

Please please go see a chiropractor before you put tubes in your child's ears!! We have GREAT results with adjusting children and avoiding this exact surgery! I could imagine how stressful this would be for you guys and it might be completely unnecessary. I had two little girls that were sched for pre-op the next day after I saw them and after I adj them and they went in, the dr didn't see anything wrong with their ears at all!! No surgery!!
Just look into it, please.
S.

hi,

my son got same surgery when he was two years old. before surgery he was always gettin ear enfection.after surgery recovery room part is hard until they getting awake. you gonna use ear drop and pain realif.when you guys go back home mostly the time she will be sleepy. next day almost everythink will be okey

Hi C.:
My daughter had tubes put in at 7 1/2 months old. The worse part was when she came out of the anestesia. She cried for about an hour or so after. The doctors and nurses reassured me that it was not from pain. I rocked her for about an hour or so and then as if a light switch turned off she calmed down and was fine. We were back in the car on the way home about 2 hours after the operation. The only part that she did not like was the drops you have to put in for the first week or so. The first three days she would cry when we put them in. Good luck.
L.

Hi C.!

Both my girls were 13 months when they got their first set of tubes (my youngest is now almost 15 months so she's only had 1 set). Both reacted a little different coming off the anestesia. The younger seemed to cry for a longer period of time. The older flailed her arms a little as soon as we were able to see her and cried except that did not last that long at all. With both we left after about an hour. Both slept when we got home since they both had to wake up early for us to get to the hospital,etc. The hospital gave the first round of pain killer so by the time they woke up from their naps we were able to give the second round. By late afternoon both were back to normal and did not tug at their ears or seem to be in any type of pain.

I too was very nervous so I researched and talked to tons of people prior to my older girl getting the tubes.

Good luck!
S.

The biggest change I noticed was that my son (who had tubes twice!) constantly became startled, since he now could hear!! Other than being unusually quiet the first day, we had no problems. He was about the same age as your child, and by the next day, he was running around as usual. He'll be 10 yrs old next week, and now he has the "other kind" of hearing loss--the selective kind! By the way, the night before his surgery, I slept with his favorite blanket next to my skin--then sent it with him thru surgery and recovery. Good luck! F.

My daughter has tubes put in her ears last January. She was 18 months old. I was very scared and worried about what to expect even though that doctor told us what to expect prior and during the surgery. At the time I was pregnant with my 2nd child I wasn't allowed to enter the OR with her which killed me but my husband was there with her. They first gave her some stuff which they called "Sleepy Juice" and it was amazing almost immediately she became very lathargic. Then they took her into the OR my husband carried her in and they allowed him to stay with her until she was out. They laid her on the table and started singing to her "the Wheels on the bus". By this time she was out. He came out of the OR we went downstairs to the waiting room by the time we got downstairs she was already out of the OR.

She looked so small in that great big bed but she was ok.They kept giving her oxygen to get the anestesia out of her body. She woke up a little confused then a little scared but we were right there the 1st thing she saw when she opened her eyes. They gave her icepops and she was happy. What I did after we got in the car was to give her ARNICA (a homeopathic remedy) its for trauma and I swear it helped her !! It wasn't all that bad for her. She slept the rest of the day. I gave her another dose or 2 before she ended up in bed for the night. She woke up the next morning like nothing happened and said to my husband before he left for work... "Hello Daddy" for the 1st time ever!! she never could say Daddy cause of her not hearing things properly she used ot call him "Diddy". Sorry I got off on a tangent..

But my suggestion ot you is find a health food store (I use Mrs. Green's Natural Market) pick up Arnica and give it to her prior to the surgery and then again afterwards. It's all natural and can not hurt her. It's great to have in the house anyway for bumps bruises and other things. I swear by it. My best wishes to you for a very uneventful and speedy recovery. Keep me posted.

my niece and several people I know have delt with tubes and the great thing about them is your child feels better instantly! (I asked a lot of questions because 2 of my boys almost got them)...so from what everyone told me it seems to be a bigger deal for mommy than child, best of luck!

my Daughter had the tubes put in when she was 8 and my nieces when they were babies they were themselves when they got home no pain so everything should be fine good luck

My little boy, now 3, had the tubes put in his ears too. He still has them. Aside form the annoyance about using earplugs in the bath and in the water/beach - it is a wonderful thing. He has only had one ear infection since the tubes were inserted. Every child is different, but he had no problem afterwards - a bit sleepy (which meant more quiet time for mom -good)The surgery was about 8 minutes. I was there when he "fell asleep" and he was fine. My husband and I were so concerned before - he was so young. But all of the friends who told us not to worry were right. Your daughter must have had a lot of infections for her to have the surgery so young. Fewer antibiotics will be better for her.

As an alternative,if you are not sure about the surgery, research chiropractors. I have a friend who swears that her chiropractor prevented her child from having the surgery.

many blessings - let us know how she does