Middle Ear Infections and Middle Ear Effusion

Children are particularly susceptible to recurrent middle ear infections with chronic middle ear effusion or Eustachian tube dysfunction. In adults a bothering middle ear effusion can persist after an upper respiratory tract infection.

When conservative therapies are insufficient, further evaluations or surgical methods should be taken into consideration.

One possibility is a small incision into the eardrum, with or without the insertion of a ventilation tube, in order to equalize the air pressure in the middle ear through the auditory canal. Children’s adenoid vegetations are often removed in the same procedure. The incision into the eardrum is done under local anesthesia for adults, for children it is done under general anesthesia as an ambulatory procedure in the hospital.