What are ventilation tubes?
Ventilation tubes are tiny plastic tubes that are surgically inserted through the eardrum by an ear, nose, and throat surgeon. They are also called tympanostomy tubes because they are placed in the tympanic membrane, which is another term for the eardrum. Ventilation tubes drain fluid out of the middle ear space and ventilate the area with air. In the U.S. at least 1 million children, usually from 1 to 3 years old, have ventilation tubes placed in their ears each year. The operation costs about $300 if it is done in a doctor’s office. (The operation can be performed in a doctor’s office with older, cooperative children only.) The cost is about $1000 if the operation is done in a hospital under anesthesia.
