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Ear tube insertion - Risks

Alternative Names

Myringotomy; Tympanostomy; Ear tube surgery

Risks:

The risks for any anesthesia are:

Breathing problems
Reactions to medicines

The risks for any surgery are:

Bleeding
Infection

Risks of this surgery are scarring of the eardrum and drainage from the ear. These complications do not usually last long. They also do not usually cause problems in children. Your doctor can explain these complications in more detail. There is also a very small risk of a hole remaining in the eardrum after the tube comes out.

Tympanic membrane

Ear tube insertion - series

Reviewed last on: 1/10/2009
Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

American Academy of Family Physicians; American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery; American Academy of Pediatrics Subcommittee on Otitis Media With Effusion. Otitis media with effusion. Pediatrics. 2004; 113(5):1412-29.

Paradise JL, Feldman HM, Campbell TF, Dollaghan CA, Rockette HE, Pitcairn DL, et al. Tympanostomy tubes and developmental outcomes at 9 to 11 years of age. N Engl J Med. 2007; 356(3):248-61.

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