What Are Ear Ventilation Tubes?

Fluid trapped behind the eardrum is a breeding ground for bacteria and infection. An ear ventilation tube (or vent tube) is a very small tube that’s placed in the eardrum. It’s also called a myringotomy tube, tympanostomy tube, or pressure equalization (PE) tube. Vent tubes let fluid trapped behind the eardrum drain, which helps prevent ear infections (otitis media).

The operation to insert a vent tube is straightforward. The ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist or ear specialist makes a very small cut in the eardrum and puts a vent tube in one or both ears. The vent tubes should cause no pain or hearing loss.

In children, a vent tube operation is usually done under general anaesthesia at a hospital or day surgery centre. In adults, it may be performed in an office visit.

Next: Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions – Ventilation Tubes

• Why are ventilation tubes needed?
• What is the Eustachian tube?
• What are the benefits of a ventilation tube?
• When should a ventilation tube be used?
• How can I help prevent my child from getting ear infections again?

Why are ventilation tubes needed?

A child’s Eustachian tubes sometimes can't drain fluid away from the middle ear into the throat very well. If fluid builds up behind the eardrum, bacteria can grow. This is how ear infections begin. After an ear infection is gone, fluid often remains behind the eardrum.

A very small ear ventilation tube (vent tube) is put into the eardrum to allow fluid drainage and help prevent further infections.

What is the Eustachian tube?

The Eustachian tube is a canal that runs from the middle part of each ear to the back of the throat. It does two things. Firstly, it keeps the air pressure inside the middle ear the same as the air pressure outside the ear. This helps you hear better. Secondly, it helps fluid from the middle ear drain into the throat.

In young children, the Eustachian tube is smaller, narrower, and more horizontal. This makes it easier for germs to move from the throat to the ear and for the tube to become blocked. Most children stop having ear infections around age 6 because their Eustachian tubes are more fully developed.

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What are the benefits of a ventilation tube?

A vent tube assists fluid drain out of the middle ear, which reduces the chance of ear infections coming back.

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When should a ventilation tube be used?

A vent tube can be recommended if your child has several of the following conditions:

• There's been fluid in the middle ear continuously for over 4 months
• There's fluid in both ears
• Recurrent ear infections that haven’t responded to continuous antibiotic treatment for several months

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How can I help prevent my child from getting ear infections again?

Recurrent ear fluid buildup and ear infections are usually caused by a blocked Eustachian tube. Additional factors that may make your child’s condition worse include:

• Exposure to second-hand smoke
• Drinking from a bottle while lying down. This can cause fluid to drain into the middle ear space
• Nasal allergies, including hay fever, asthma, eczema, and food allergies can cause more frequent buildup of fluid in the middle ears
• Snoring caused by enlarged or swollen adenoids

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Next: What Is It? – PAA

What Is a Power-Assisted Adenoidectomy?

The adenoids are a single clump of tissue that’s very high in the back of your throat, behind your nose. It is believed that the adenoids help trap germs so they can’t get further into the body.

Sometimes, however, the adenoids may cause ear infections when the trapped bacteria travel up the Eustachian tube to the middle ear. In some cases, the trapped germs make the adenoids swell and block the Eustachian tube, causing fluid and bacteria to build up in the middle ear.

During a power-assisted adenoidectomy, the surgeon uses a special instrument called a microdebrider (MY-cro-duh-BRY-der). It has a tiny rotating tip for removing the enlarged adenoids.

The microdebrider has a curved tip which helps the surgeon put the instrument where it’s needed to remove the adenoids.

Next: Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions – Power-Assisted Adenoidectomy

• What are adenoids?
• How effective is a power-assisted adenoidectomy at stopping ear infections from coming back?
• How precise is power-assisted adenoidectomy?

What are adenoids?

The adenoids are a single clump of tissue that is very high in the back of your throat, behind your nose. It is believed that the adenoids help trap germs so they can’t get further into the body. Sometimes, however, the adenoids may help cause infections when the trapped germs either travel up the Eustachian tube to the middle ear or make the adenoids swell and block the Eustachian tube.

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How effective is a power-assisted adenoidectomy at stopping ear infections from coming back?

A 2003 research study showed the differences between power-assisted, curette (cutting), and suction cautery (heating) adenoidectomies.¹ In this study, researchers tracked 1270 children who had already had two ear ventilation tube procedures for one year. The purpose of the study was to find out how often children had to have a third set of vent tubes put in, even though they’d had an adenoidectomy.

The results of the study showed that the children who had a power-assisted adenoidectomy were much less likely to need a third set of vent tubes.

• 452 children had a power-assisted adenoidectomy, and 3.5% (16 children) needed a third set of vent tubes.
• 75 children received a curette adenoidectomy, and 9.3% (7 children) needed a third set of vent tubes.
• 743 children received a suction cautery adenoidectomy, and 23.3% (175 children) needed a third set of vent tubes.how

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How precise is power-assisted adenoidectomy?

With any removal method, if too much tissue is removed, nearby tissues can be damaged and potentially cause complications. If not enough is removed, the adenoids may grow back and the infection could return.

Because the microdebrider used in a power-assisted adenoidectomy can be positioned and moved very precisely, it can give the surgeon more control and allow the removal of only the tissue required. Also, the microdebrider gives the surgeon a direct view of the adenoid tissue. Finally, the shape of the device provides access to the hard-to-reach adenoids.

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Next: Getting a Ventilation Tube or a PAA