What Are The Risks Of Ear Tubes?
The risks of your child undergoing ear tube placement are related to anesthesia and those directly related to surgery. Before surgery, you should meet with the anesthesiologist who will be putting your child to sleep. You will then have an in-depth discussion about the risks of anesthesia. The major risks due to the ear tube surgery include: eardrum scarring, early rejection of the tube, failure of the ear tube to fall out leading to the need to remove the tube in an additional surgery, chronic hole in the eardrum after the tube falls out (1-2% risk with short-term tube, 20% risk with the long-term tubes), polyp formation around the tube, and ear tube blockage with dried mucous or blood.
