Myringotomy and Grommets Children s Ward Patient information Leaflet

Transcription

1 Myringotomy and Grommets Children s Ward Patient information Leaflet Page 1

2 Myringotomy and Grommets Your child is coming into hospital for insertion of grommet(s). The operation is a day case procedure carried out under general anaesthetic. Why does my child need the operation? Your child needs the operation because he/she may have hearing problems, recurrent ear infections and /or glue ear (a build up of mucus in the middle ear). The ear s divided into three parts, the outer, the middle and the inner ear. The middle ear is a space behind the eardrum, which should be filled with air. During the act of swallowing, the air in the middle ear is replaced, via the Eustachian tube, which connects with the nose. Glue ear is a build up of fluid the middle ear air space. The cause of this is poor functioning of the eustachian tube. There are a variety of reasons for this, including irritants, enlargement of the adenoids and infection. Glue ear can lead to varying degrees of poor hearing, as the passage of sound to the inner ear is affected by the presence of glue. Poor hearing may cause the child s speech and language development to be affected and may cause problems at school. The presence of glue in the ear can also cause pain in some children. If your child has persistent problems, placing the grommets in your child s ears can help. Is there an alternative treatment? If your child s problem is due to infection, antibiotics can be given. You will need to discuss the effectiveness of this with your child s doctor. What will be the benefits of the operation? The benefits of the operation are to improve your child s hearing and reduce the build up of mucus in the middle ear. The procedure should also keep your child earache free. Are there any risks? There is a very small risk of bleeding, infection and damage to the eardrum. You will need to discuss these issues with your child s doctor. There is a minimal risk with a general anaesthetic, which will be discussed with the anaesthetist anaesthetising your child. Children with grommets can develop a runny ear. This can usually be dealt with by the gp, who will prescribe drops or antibiotics. Sometimes it can be persistent /recurrent problem and a return to the ENT clinic may be required. How do grommets work? The grommet will ventilate the ear by equalising the air pressure in and outside of the middle ear. Your child s hearing should be improved while the Page 2

3 grommet is in place. Grommets usually work their way out of the ear after about 6-8 months and the ear drum heals. Sometimes they need to be replaced under general anaesthetic. When a child grows their ear problems decrease, despite this they may need to have repeat grommet insertion with a possibility of long stay grommets being required. What happens during my child s stay on the ward? Your child will be admitted for either the morning or the afternoon. They will be seen by a doctor if you have not signed their consent form in clinic and the anaesthetist to ensure your child is medically fit or theatre. Your child will be on a theatre list and we can only give an approximate time to when your child will go to theatre. Before the operation your child will be seen by the nursing team if you have any concerns please do not hesitate to mention them. One parent will be able to stay in the anaesthetic room until your child is asleep. During the procedure, under a short general anaesthetic, a tiny cut is made in the eardrum called a myringotomy. Any glue is sucked from the middle ear and if required a grommet is placed in the ear drum. On waking your child will be brought back to you on the ward when the recovery team are happy. During the recovery period on the ward they will be assessed by the nursing team and offered fluids then diet when safe to do so. Your child may have a cannula insitu which will need to remain until diet and fluids have been tolerated and your child is well. When will my child be able to go home? Your child will need to stay on the ward for approximately 2 hours until they have tolerated diet and fluids, passed urine and is fit for discharge. If not fit for discharge your child may need to stay overnight, where one parent can stay with them. It is recommended that your child does not travel home on public transport therefore alternative arrangements may need to be made for your journey home. Will my child have any pain afterwards? Your child will be given pain relief in theatre and on the ward as required. Some children will get some earache during the first hours. We recommend, if suitable for your child, a simple pain control such as paracetamol (brand names include calpol, disprol and medinol) following the instructions on the bottle. If the pain persists or your child develops a temperature, vomiting or generally unwell then please contact your GP. How do I care for my child s ears whilst the grommets are there? During the first 48 hours there may be some discharge from the ear, which is sometimes blood stained. This can be gently wiped away with cotton wool. Do not attempt to clean inside the ear as this could damage the ear canal. If the discharge persists after this please seek advice from your G.P. Page 3

4 It is very important to keep your child s ears dry to prevent infection. Therefore when washing your child s hair or bathing it is recommended that you protect the ear by using cotton wool coated in Vaseline as an ear plug. Your child will be able to travel on an aeroplane and experience no problems. When can I send my child back to school? If your child is feeling well enough he or she may return to school 24 hours after the operation, although some parents prefer to keep their child off the next day. Can my child go swimming? Your child can continue swimming unless your doctor advises otherwise. Your child is advised not to dive under water.the ears can be plugged in one of these forms: Cotton wool/ vasaline as above Push in style plugs ( which can be purchased form pharmacies or sports shops) Swimming moulds can be obtained from Barworth medical telephone number When will we see a doctor again? An appointment will be made for your child to attend their usual ENT clinic and possibly audiology, usually in 2-3 months time, which will be posted out to you. Further information If you have any questions or are unsure about any of the information provided in this booklet, please contact the Children s ward on Page 4

5 This Information can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call Originator: Clare Evans Date: March 2013 Version: 1 Date for Review: March 2016 DGOH Ref: DGOH/PIL/00801 Page 5