Chronic otitis media treatment
Chronic otitis media treatment is different for each patient and family depending on which chronic otitis media symptoms your child is experiencing. Our care team will work with you to determine the best treatment. We'll keep you informed about each step throughout this process.
Tympanostomy tubes
If your child is experiencing fluid drainage from their ear and hearing loss, we may consider tympanostomy tubes. These are small plastic or metal tubes that we surgically place into an incision in the ear drum to help drain fluid from the middle ear and prevent infection. They are usually temporary, but we may recommend them for longer if your child is still experiencing symptoms.
Multi-step treatment
If your child has a hole in their eardrum and chronic drainage, we often recommend a multi-step treatment plan. We will first clean the ear through suctioning and analyze the infected fluid. Typically, antibiotic drops treat the infection, but oral or intravenous antibiotics may be necessary if the drops are not effective.
Surgical treatment
Once the infection is controlled, we will assess repairing the hole in the ear drum. Our surgeons typically repair the ear drum by grafting the appropriate material, which can range from absorbable gelatin to nearby muscle or cartilage. Our team is experienced in these procedures and will help you make the best choice for your child. Repairing the hole in the eardrum often, but not always, improves hearing.
In complicated cases, a retraction, when the ear drum gets stuck in the middle ear, or a cholesteatoma, an abnormal skin growth in the middle ear, could develop. If untreated, these conditions could lead to serious complications. In these cases, your provider may recommend surgery.
Why choose Children's Colorado for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic otitis media?
Treating ear conditions in children is different than treating ear conditions in adults. Our pediatric otolaryngologists and audiologists have completed extra training and have advanced experience caring for kids with chronic diseases of the ear.
The tests and procedures are also performed by our care providers who have extra training and experience in caring for children. Our providers take the important first step in an accurate and complete treatment plan for every patient.
This means your child will have a more accurate diagnosis and treatment – as well as a better overall experience.
We understand that chronic otitis media can be an uncomfortable and recurring problem. We specialize in bringing relief to children suffering from ear conditions. We also work collaboratively with pediatric specialists – such as audiologists, anesthesiologists, CT/MRI technicians and radiologists – to make sure that you have the best, most complete care while seeing many of our specialists in one visit.