Your child requires grommets due to having short-term hearing impairment due to glue ear or recurrent ear infections. Glue ear occurs when a sticky fluid accumulates in the middle ear instead of air. It can impact one or both ears and is a frequent ailment among children.
We can insert tiny tubes known as grommets into your child’s eardrum. These tubes enable air to flow through the eardrum and out of the middle ear. This maintains ear health and stops fluid from accumulating there once more.
At our clinic, we discuss with you beforehand the reasons for your child’s surgery. Your child typically undergoes a hearing test prior to the operation.
The primary alternative for kids suffering from hearing issues due to glue ear is the use of a hearing aid. However, this solution does not work for ear infections. If your child continues to experience ear infections, another solution might involve prescribing antibiotics to address each infection.
In some cases, your child might need to take antibiotics for an extended period to attempt to interrupt the infection cycle.
You must bring your child to a clinic before they are admitted. This clinic can occur in person or through the internet. Our goal is to confirm that your child is prepared for anaesthesia, a drug that induces sleep during the operation and surgery.
Following the initial clinic appointment, our admissions department reaches out to you through mail, text, or telephone. We provide you with a schedule for your child’s surgery. Additionally, we clarify the timeframe for your child to refrain from eating and drinking (fasting) prior to their surgery.
Ensure that you have a week’s worth of paracetamol (for pain relief) and ibuprofen (for reducing inflammation) available at your residence prior to the surgery. It’s not common practice to provide these medications for your child to take home following day surgery.
Ensuring you show up on time and adhere to the fasting guidelines for your child is crucial. Should you arrive past the scheduled time or fail to comply with the fasting rules, we might not proceed with the surgery.
Both you and your child will meet the surgical and anaesthetic teams on the ward where you’re admitted before the surgery takes place.
We will verify that you have granted us the necessary approval (consent) for the surgery. Feel free to ask us any questions you might have.
We administer a general anaesthetic to your child. This is a drug that induces sleep and prevents your child from experiencing any discomfort throughout the operation. You are welcome to remain with your child until they are unconscious.
While your kid is sleeping, the surgeon examines their ear, takes out any excess wax, and creates a tiny opening in the eardrum. This procedure is known as myringotomy and it enables the fluid that’s stuck in the middle ear to flow out. The doctor employs a tool to extract additional fluid from the ear. Following that, they insert a small tube into the opening.
We carry out the process using a tube that goes from the outer ear to the middle ear (the ear canal). This ensures that there are no visible incisions on the exterior of your child’s ear.
Each process carries certain dangers of complications. To minimise these dangers, we ensure that your child is in good health before the procedure. We discuss the potential risks with you in the clinic and prior to the procedure once we have obtained your approval.
Your kid might become sleepy following their operation and rest for a bit. They could also become fussy (agitated) and distressed for as long as an hour after they come out of the surgery. A few kids might experience a scratchy throat and feel nauseous or vomit, although this doesn’t happen often.
During the procedure, we give your child plenty of effective painkillers.
Usually, you won’t experience any discomfort or just a slight ache following grommet surgery. If your kid is experiencing any discomfort, we might recommend they take paracetamol, ibuprofen, or both.
You’re free to administer these medications to your child as required while they’re at home. Nonetheless, your child generally requires minimal relief from pain.
Your child should be able to eat and drink or feed as usual within 1 to 2 hours of the procedure.
You see the surgeon or a member of their team after the procedure.
They explain:
Your child can go home on the same day as their procedure when they:
This is usually within 2 hours of the procedure.
Your kid should stay out of the pool for two weeks following the grommet operation. Once that time has passed, it’s advisable for them to use swim earplugs along with a hat or ear band while swimming and to steer clear of diving.
When your child’s hair is washed, they need to either:
You should adhere to this guidance until your child’s grommets have been removed and the eardrum has fully recovered. The ENT team will inform you in the clinic when this is complete.
Your child is allowed to fly by plane after the grommet procedure.
A few kids experience a slightly elevated body temperature following their treatment, but this often goes away on its own. It’s crucial to monitor for any additional symptoms, like a respiratory or urinary tract infection. If you’re worried, it’s best to consult with your family doctor or visit the closest emergency room.
Getting out of the ear that continues for more than 2 to 3 days, or appears green or has a foul odour, might indicate an infection. If this happens, it’s important to reach out to your child’s family doctor. They will likely recommend antibiotic ear drops.
We might schedule a subsequent appointment for you while you’re still in the paediatric day surgery area. It’s probable that our team will reach out to you within the next couple of days.
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