When is tympanostomy tube surgery recommended?
The surgical placement of tympanostomy tubes is usually recommended if your child has several of the following conditions: – Fluid has been present in the middle ear continuously for over 3 months. – Both ears have fluid. – The fluid has caused a documented hearing loss. A hearing loss greater than 20 dB can significantly affect speech. However, many children with fluid in their ears have nearly normal hearing. – The fluid has caused a speech delay (for example, a child is not speaking at least three words by the age of 18 months or 20 words by the age of 2 years). – Recurrent ear infections require repeated treatment with antibiotics.
