Why Your Ear Tubes Took Forever to Come Out

September 7, 2022

Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeons place tubes in the ears of patients suffering from hearing loss and recurrent ear infections. Though ear tubes have helped millions of adults and kids, they can stay in the ears for a prolonged period. You may not even know you have retained ear tubes until you see your otolaryngologist. 

 

Did your ear tubes take forever to come out? Find why some ear tubes seem to stay in the ears.


Blockage

A surgeon makes a tiny incision in the eardrum before placing the ear tube. They tend to prescribe ear drops after surgery to treat or prevent infection behind the eardrum. 

 

When a surgeon checks a patient after surgery, they can find mucus or dried blood blocking the tube. They can open the tube or place new tubes to help with this blockage issue. 


Chronic Infection and Irritation

Ear tubes that are surrounded by infection can get stuck in inflamed tissue. Irritation and swelling gradually transform into infected granulation tissue and mature into a granuloma that can grow and fully cover the ear tube. Drops and antibiotics can help inflamed tissue, however, the major treatment required would be removing the ear tube to pause the foreign body reaction.


A Hole in the Eardrum

When the eardrum heals, ear tubes tend to fall out in the canal. If they stay in your eardrum for too long, scar tissue can form around them. The scar tissue then helps to get the ear tubes to fall out of your eardrum. Because of this though, your eardrum may have a develop hole or perforation. A small perforation may keep healing and closing on its own slowly. However, some chronic eardrum perforations needed a more advanced surgery to rebuild the ear drum and close the hole with grafting.


Tube Falls Out of the Eardrum into the Middle Ear

 While most ear tubes are pushed out of the eardrum in the ear canal. Sometimes, the ear tube falls into the middle ear and the ear drum heals over the tube.

 

The tube may get stuck in your middle ear, which stimulates a foreign body reaction and can cause middle ear fluid accumulation or infections. Surgery can be performed to remove the tube from the middle ear.

 

 

ENT Medical and Surgical Group can help with your ear tubes. Our surgeons use the latest and best technology to treat patients. Book an appointment today! 



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