Living With Ventilation Tubes or a Power-Assisted Adenoidectomy

Vent tubes should reduce the risk of further ear infections, and your child should not notice them at all. After a power-assisted adenoidectomy, your child may have a slightly sore throat that gets better as the surgery heals – as well as a lower risk of more ear infections.

After Surgery

Ventilation tubes – After surgery, your child will be observed for a few hours to make sure there are no complications. Your ENT specialist will provide instructions about when to get immediate attention and when to schedule follow-up appointments. You may also get a prescription for antibiotic ear drops.

Power-assisted adenoidectomy – After surgery, your child will be observed for a few hours to make sure there are no complications. Your ENT specialist will provide instructions about when to get immediate attention and when to schedule follow-up appointments. After the operation, your child will have a slight sore throat. This is normal and will gradually ease as the surgery site heals.

While power-assisted adenoidectomies are safe and there are usually very few complications, bleeding in a small child can be a serious problem if it occurs. Toddlers don’t notice the bleeding or don’t complain about it. Your doctor will inform you how long you child needs to stay in the hospital.

Daily Living

Ventilation tubes – There are no challenges or problems related to daily living with vent tubes. You should keep a few things in mind, however. Vent tubes sometimes fall out before they’re supposed to. If so, fluid can build up again and the surgery will have to be repeated. Vent tubes that stay in too long may need to be removed.

To prevent germs from getting into the ear through the vent tube, many doctors recommend using ear plugs during bathing or swimming to keep the ears dry. This is particularly important when swimming in untreated water, such as lakes and rivers. Your doctor will suggest the best way to protect your child’s ears after surgery.

Power-assisted adenoidectomy – After a power-assisted adenoidectomy, your child’s risk of additional ear infections should be reduced. As always, if you have questions or concerns, bring them to your doctor’s attention.