For ear tubes, surgeon said he uses gas

sporty

Thu, Feb 16 2012, 9:56 pm

I am nervous for dd. Has anyone had a young child put to sleep with gas? She just turned 3.
He said they use gas so there is no iv. They use a mask over the childs face. The surgery is 15 minutes.
Feel clueless about gas....how is it compared to general anes. and do most ENTs who do tubes for ears use gas as well?

bradybunch

Thu, Feb 16 2012, 10:04 pm

Tubes are generally put in with a mild sedative like this. It's very quick--the actual procedure takes about 5 minutes, maybe a bit more depending on how much fluid there is to clear out. And the kids often wake up already feeling and hearing better.

amother

Fri, Feb 17 2012, 12:29 am

Normally I do NOT write amother. However I really want to comment, and can't without being anonymous on this because too many people know my screenname.

DC needed tubes as a 10 month old. DC had recurrent ear infections and failed a hearing test. The surgery was done using gas. DC had no iv. By the time we got to the parent waiting room, the ENT was already walking over to us to tell us everything was done. We got to DC just as DC was waking up. DC nursed within an hour and we went home. During the rest of the afternoon DC was slightly tired, ears bled a little, but mostly I had one happy baby. Over the course of the next few weeks DC finally started to coo/babble and make noises for fun.

A few months later, we discovered that members of our family have a gene that causes a fatal reaction to certain anestethics.

DC needed tubes again. We ended up needing to go to an anasthesiologist that specialized in this reaction. DC received an IV and ketamine. Same surgery as before except that DC slept the entire day after the surgery, refused to eat/drink, and was crabby the next day. It also took twice as long before the ENT came into the waiting room to speak with us.

The gas was a much less complicated procedure.

amother

Fri, Feb 17 2012, 12:46 am

Yes, my son had tubes put in and they used gas. The surgery takes very fast. They wake up very cranky but otherwise they're OK.
My husband and I had been so unsure about it, we tried everything we could before and with the surgery we got instant results. My son who was the quietest boy in his class, kept to himself never participated started playing with the other kids talking to his morahs within a few days of his surgery. It was amazing results B"H.

Good Luck

mominisrael2

Mon, Feb 20 2012, 6:09 am

They used gas with my DS too -- he was out in under 10 seconds and was groggy for maybe an hour after the surgery, and after that he was completely back to himself and back at school the next day. That was a week and a half ago, and already we're starting to hear improvement in his speech.

sima

Mon, Feb 20 2012, 12:15 pm

my DS had tubes put in at 11mos old, since he by then had already suffered through 8 or 9 infections. they also used gas and it was a very quick proceedure. Woke up cranky, and lots of crying but fine afterwards and not one more infection since!!!!

when he turned 3 we had to take them out because they didn't fall out on their own. so same thing, and again no problems.

hatzlocha

21young

Mon, Feb 20 2012, 1:55 pm

Due to hearing loss, my DS had tubes at 7 months. They used gas, and as others said, it was quick, easy, he was happy within an hour.
At 9 months he an hour long hearing test for which he needed to be sleeping, and they used iv. It took him 2 days to get back to himself. Go with the gas.