What are the benefits of tympanostomy tubes?
Tympanostomy tubes allow secretions to drain out of the middle ear space and allow air to reenter. The risk of recurring ear infections is greatly reduced. Hearing returns to normal with the tube in place and speech development can get back on track. Tympanostomy tubes also prevent the fluid from becoming thicker (a “glue ear”) and damaging the middle ear. Tympanostomy tubes give time for the eustachian tubes to begin to function better as the child grows older.
