After Ear Tube Surgery

Recently, my 21 month old had surgery where they removed his adenoids and put tubes in his ears.

Photo Credit:

Photo Credit:

After we got home, I had about a bazillion questions, but the more I googled, the more frustrated I became. I just couldn’t find any answers to all the questions that I had.

So, I figured I would put up a post and tell you what you might expect to see after your child has a similar surgery. Please note that what Gage experienced after his surgery may not be what your child experiences, but since I couldn’t find any information out there, I want people to have a starting point.

First, the inside of your child’s ears will be gross. I mean really, really gross. There’s lots of drainage, and the gunk builds up in the ear canal and directly outside of it. This is normal. And, thankfully, it disappears within just a few days. (Where it goes, I have no idea… except for the chunk of gunk Gage pulled out of his ear and then handed to me. Ick!!)

There will be discharge for several days after surgery. With Gage, his ears actually started pouring out blood. This absolutely freaked me out, so we called the doctor that performed the surgery and then headed to the ER. It turns out that Gage’s ears were probably infected at the time of the surgery, and that is what caused them to bleed so badly and run a very high fever.

They started Gage on another round of antibiotics, and by the next day he was completely back to normal. No more bleeding ears, no more fever, just his happy little self.

Typically kids don’t have any issues after surgery, but it IS possible for complications to arise – especially if your child’s ears were infected at the time of surgery.

Also, if your child has their adenoids removed, they will have VERY bad breath for at least 2 weeks. (Though it can last up to 4 weeks.) If you are pregnant, the smell of their breath can literally knock you to the floor. It is bad. But, it is normal, and it is all part of the healing process. Their nose will also run quite a bit. Keep lots of tissues or Boogie Wipes on hand.

If you have any complications after your child’s surgery, CALL THE DOCTOR. They will be able to tell you exactly what is going on, or if you need to take a trip to the Emergency Room.

For the record, I have noticed a HUGE difference in Gage since his surgery. I absolutely believe he can hear better because now he is trying to talk so much more, and his words are so much clearer. He is sleeping through the night, and he is just as happy as can be. I am so glad we had this surgery done. Even though there were complications, I still think this was the best choice for him.

Did your child have tubes put in his ears? What was your experience?

Angie Vinez (2746 Posts)



  1. 1

    My middle daughter (now 29) had tubes years ago. They came out before they were supposed to and she continued to have trouble. So, then they put in “long-term” tubes that were supposed to last five years. They both came out in less than a year. She has continued to have problems. I hope your little Gage fares better than my daughter did.

  2. 2

    Been debating with my boys but worried about sleep apnea with my oldest and being put to sleep. Now they are doing better for the past few months. Glad your seeing a big improvement and better health for your son.

Speak Your Mind


CommentLuv badge