Ear, nose and throat surgery

Ear, nose and throat surgery is performed on children, usually between 2 and 6 years old, by an otorhinolaryngologist with general anesthesia when the child snores, has difficulty breathing, has recurrent ear infections with impaired hearing.

The surgery lasts about 20 to 30 minutes and it may be necessary for the child to stay overnight for observation. Recovery is generally quick and simple, and in the first 3 to 5 days the child must eat cold food. From the 7th day, the child can go back to school and eat normally.

Ear, nose and throat surgery indications

This ear, nose and throat surgery is indicated when the child has difficulty breathing and snores due to the growth of tonsils and adenoids and has a kind of secretion in the ear (serous otitis) that impairs hearing.

The growth of these structures usually occurs after a viral infection in the child, such as chicken pox or influenza and when they do not reduce again, the tonsils in the throat and the adenoids, which are a kind of spongy meat that are located inside the nose, prevent the normal passage of air and increasing the humidity inside the ears causing an accumulation of secretion that can lead to deafness, if not treated.

This obstruction usually causes snoring and sleep apnea which is the respiratory arrest during sleep, putting the child's life at risk. Normally, the enlargement of tonsils and adenoids regress until 6 years of age, but in these cases, which are usually between 2 and 3 years, ear, nose and throat surgery is indicated at these ages.

Symptoms of fluid build-up in the ear are very mild, and the ENT must take an audiometry test to decide whether to have surgery to measure whether the child's hearing ability is at risk. So if the child:

Has earache regularly; watches television very close to the device; does not respond to any sound stimulus; being very irritated constantly

All of these symptoms can be related to the accumulation of secretion in the ear, which can also be reflected in difficulty in concentration and learning deficit.

Find out what the audiometry exam consists of.

How ear, nose and throat surgery is done

Ear, nose and throat surgery is simple. The removal of adenoids and tonsils is done through the mouth and nostrils, without the need for cuts in the skin. A tube, called a ventilation tube in the inner ear with general anesthesia, is also introduced to aerate the ear and drain the secretion, which is removed within 12 months after surgery.

Recovery after ear, nose and throat surgery

Recovery after ear, nose and throat surgery is simple and quick, about 3 to 5 days in most cases. Upon waking up and in the first 3 days after surgery it is normal for the child to still breathe through the mouth, which can dry out the operated mucosa and cause some pain and discomfort, and at this stage, it is important to offer cold fluids to the child frequently.

During the week following the surgery, the child must rest and should not go to closed places and with many people like shopping malls or even go to school to avoid infections and ensure a good recovery.

The feeding progressively returns to normal, according to the tolerance and recovery of each child, giving preference to cold foods with a pasty consistency, which are easier to swallow such as porridges, ice cream, pudding, gelatin, soup. At the end of 7 days, the food returns to normal, the healing must be completed and the child can go back to school.

Until the ear tube comes out, the child should use earplugs in the pool and in the sea to prevent water from entering the ear causing an infection. During the bath, a tip is to put a piece of cotton in the child's ear and apply moisturizer over it, as the fat from the cream will make it harder for water to enter the ear.