Are there risks involved in having ear tubes inserted?
Placement of ear tubes must be done in the operating room, and this carries the usual risks associated with any general anesthesia. In a small number of cases, ear tubes don’t fall out on their own and must be surgically removed. Also rare are cases in which the ear tube falls out, but the hole in the eardrum left behind does not close up on its own. Surgery may be necessary to patch the hole.