Tubes ?

LLCoolH

Our pedi says A has to have 6 EIs in a year before the ENT will consider tubes.  They offered to give us a referral early but said that the standard is 6 in a year and that's what the ENT will tell us.  They also told us that its more likely that she will eventually need them because DH had tubes when he was little and with the family history of a failed e-tube it could suggest that hers will fail as well.

My co-worker's doctor let her DS get tubes after he had just 3 EIs in a year.  I get that its a surgery, but everything I've read (mostly on this board) says that its easy peasy and not a big deal.  So why would we wait for her to suffer 3 more times?

Would you call the doc and get the ENT referral early, just to see what they have to say?

Nessia

Knowing what I know now, yes. I was hesitant. My doctor also recommended 6 in a year. After 3 in one winter, two of them back to back double ear infections I asked for the referral even though the pedi said it could wait. The ENT had his hearing tested (he was 2) and his hearing was bad. That's all I needed to know, and the ENT said it was a good idea. He had tubes and adenoids removed and we haven't had any issues. He started talking A LOT and haven't not had any EI since and that's with a lot of allergy drainage which usually leads to EI.

 

eta: Your DD is still young, I would probably wait it out until she is a year at least. 

 

PrincessBrideSarah

DD has never had an ear infection, but I had a ton as a child. I got tubes when I was four after having one or both ears infected for 150 days straight. My mom remembers this because the doctor wanted my ears uninfected for surgery. After 150 days, the doctor gave up and did the surgery while I had an infection.

Back then, I'm guessing a child had to have waaaay more than 6 infections in a year (or else it was because we were tight on money and surgery was expensive).

I would not want to get tubes after 3 ear infections in a year. Surgery--even an easy low-risk one--is still surgery. Anesthesia has risks as does the surgery itself. I would hesitate to expose my child to those risks after just 3 infections.

I know how much the infections hurt, and the tubes did help quite a bit. I did still get infections with tubes, but it was a lot less--like one every few months instead of two or more a month. I remember the surgery I had at 4 years old, and, quite frankly, it was a pretty unpleasant experience with a lot of crying on my part. (I think things are a lot more kid-friendly now, so take that opinion with a grain of salt.)

If DD starts having ear problems, I would definitely want her to have at least 6 infections in a year before agreeing to surgery. 

ETA: I read s-a-r-a-h's response, and I wanted to amend my response a bit. If my child had severe infections like what she is describing, than that is a totally different situation than 4 more run-of-the-mill ear infections in less than a year. If I were dealing with infections that would not go away and that were associated with febrile seizures, then, yes, I'd be wanting to talk to an ENT.
 

s-a-r-a-h

H is getting tubes next week after having four double EIs over the course of four months. Her EIs have been difficult to treat with antibiotics and the last straw for us was a trip to Dell Children's last week (daycare had to call EMS because H was turning blue and shaking - they think she had a febrile seizure due to a high temp caused by her EI). The ENT and pedi both agree that tubes are the best treatment for her even though she hasn't had the minimum number of EIs to usually require the surgery.

mlf625

Are they clearing up between the EIs, or does it just seem to never fully go away?  That's how A's were - he got his first one in October (13 months) and it was just one long string of EIs  (and 4 different drugs) from then until December, when we finally went to the ENT.  

Personally, what I would do is get the referral to the ENT and go see him/her.  Especially since G had what sounds like some pretty severe ear issues - might as well be working with the specialist now, imo.  We really liked Dr. Zapata at Austin ENT. But I don't think it's wrong to just wait, either.  Do what your mama gut tells you to do.  

molliedb

i agree- go with your gut.

 

i will say that eve had 3 back to back last winter/early spring and looked like she was about to get a 4th and the pediatrician said, if we can get her to summer she might have a chance to really work it out on her own and she has.  she hasn't had an ear infection in a year now.  *knock on wood*

but it sounds like A's might be heriditary.  in that case, i don't see the harm in asking for the referral just to go meet them and get more information.