Any Ear Tubes Experience?

Hello! My 16-month-old is getting tubes in his ears tomorrow AM. He's at an excellent hospital and will have a board-certified pediatric anesthesiologist. His ENT, however, is not a Ped ENT, but he's got loads and loads of experience with children for this surgery. I am very good medically both in knowledge and in the grossout factor; however, I'm really freaking out. When it's someone else's child, you can use your head and know something is for the best, but when it's my own, yeah, I know it in my head, but my heart is terrified.

Anyone have any experience with their child, especially baby, having had tubes surgery and how it went, advice, things to watch for, etc.? No tonsils or adenoids, just tubes. I had them (and tonsils/adenoids) when I was 4, so I have an excellent memory of it, but only from my own little girl patient's perspective. Any thoughts would be welcome.

Thank you in advance!

Haven't BTDT, but as you know my DS is scheduled for surgery next month on a different issue so I completely understand your concerns. Sending you lots of good vibes and well wishes for you and DS.

FWIW my cousin's DD had this surgery and all went very well and she had a speedy recovery.

Yes, my DS had tubes put in his ears when he was just about the same age as your son. It's completely safe, and very quick, as your ENT probably told you. The hardest part is watching them go under and then having to leave them! So here's how my DS experience went.

His surgery was a 7:30am. His ENT likes the children's surgeries to be first thing in the morning before they've had breakfast and fully awake and alert. We brought him in at 6:30am in his PJ's (recommended by the nurses) straight out of bed. We had a short wait in the waiting room, then they brought us into the surgery prep area. He was dressed in a children's hospital gown and they let him play with the mouthpiece that goes over his mouth when putting him under. It smelled like bubblegum, and they do that on purpose so children won't fight having it put on them. It's quite large and scary to children. AFter all the vitals were taken, I carried him in to the surgery room, laid him down on the bed and in less than a minute he was out. I'm not kidding! They work fast! The medical staff, knows that children will freak out if given the opportunity, so as I was whispering to him, they were strapping his arms down, and placing the mouthpiece over him, and he was out even before the anethesiologist got to "3".

By the time I walked back to the waiting room, ate one cracker, the ENT was back. He talked to us for 10 min, and 5 min later, a nurse ran in to tell me that my DS was waking up. Here's the bad part: when DS woke up, he was crying, screaming, very disoriented. Crying, inconsolable, everything for at least 15 min. We were told beforehand to expect this, but it was bad. Almost like a night terrors in little children. If you can get to your son, before he wakes up, so he can see you as he comes too, it will help alot. My DS was waking up, as they were wheeling him into recovery, so I wasn't there in time.

Anyhow, he was out by the time we strapped him into the car, and pretty much followed his normal routine all day. No complaints of pain, nothing remarkable. We just follwed the instructions given to us, what to watch for, gave him Tylenol around the clock for the first day, and that was it. The great thing, was he slept through the night from that night on.

I apologize for being long winded, I'm NAK, and going as fast as I can....best luck to you. We were and "ideal" case according to the ENT, so I hope it works out for your DS too.

LMK if you have any more questions! HTH!

Ann

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Oooh, I really have mommy brain! I'm sorry, I was thinking your post was today the 19th, not the 23rd! Hope the surgery went well!



Ann

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