Getting tubes put in

Fri, Jun 05 2009, 9:59 am

I am feeling slightly anxious - my (almost) 1 year old is having tubes put in (he's had 7 ear infections! and the fluid never drains from his ears). THey told me that he can't eat from midnight the night before up until after surgery. They said he can nurse up to 4 hours prior to surgery and can drink up to 2 hours before. I think this part makes me more nervous than everything else (them putting him under etc). He is such a big eater and usually when he wakes up he is famished and has to eat at the latest at 730. That is in addition to nursing at night....They told me they usually operate youngest children first but still...how early can that be?

Have any of you had a child this small go through this procedure? Any chizzuk/input will be appreciated. Sad

downsyndrome

Fri, Jun 05 2009, 10:03 am

My son had tubes inserted in his ears when he was nine months old. As you, I was also a nervous wreck for the fasting period. Boruch Hashem it passed without too much challenge. I do remember that we left the house at 5:30 a.m. and he was indeed the first patient. The whole procedure took less than 20 minutes and he was a new child after it was done. I highly recommend it!

Marion

Fri, Jun 05 2009, 10:11 am

My son had it done at two and a half. We had instructions no food for 3 hours before; no fluids from an hour before. His appointment was at 2:15. The daycare was accomodating and fed him his lunch early so he'd be done by 11:15. I picked him up at 12:30. They took him at 2:15 and called us back in to be with him at 2:30 when they were done. From midnight sounds like a very long time (at least 8 hours) for such a little one, especially for the amount of anaesthetic they should be using (barely enough to put him out for a 15-20 minute procedure). I would double check.

BZBEE

Fri, Jun 05 2009, 10:19 am

I know someone who's 3 yr old child got tubes put in.
She couldn't eat from the night before.
They left the house real early in the morning, and somehow her child got hold of a drink Exclamation

The nurses told them they cannot do it and will have to re-schedule.
She said said absolutely not! They had driven in from afar, and had a child who was not quite in the mood of behaving... and wasn't going to do this trip again!
They had to wait a few more hours and they did it.

Good Luck!!! And keep your son far away from food Wink

613

Mon, Jun 08 2009, 11:28 am

My ds had tubes and adenoids three years ago, he was just under 1 1/2. The surgery was scheduled for early morning- like 6:30am. I think they said no food after midnight. He was so tired in the morn. that he didn't ask for anything anyway. When he came out of surgery, he was crying for 15-20 mins then fell asleep. When he woke up, he was fine and had an icepop Smile

The worst part (for me) was watching them put him to sleep. Not all hospitals have you in the room for that, but I was there holding him in my lap. Then, when he was out, I put him down on the operating table, left the room, and burst into tears. K, I'm emotional when it comes to these things. But really everything went smoothly and by the afternoon you wouldn't have known that it wasn't just a regular day in the life of 17 month old.

Mon, Jun 08 2009, 2:42 pm

Thanks everybody for the replies. I just called the hospital again and they told me they start operating at 730 and my son is second in line so "hopefully" they will take him at 8. He can't have any food (including nursing) after midnight the night before and he could have clear fluids (juice, water or pedialite - none of which he would even go near btw) until 430. I need to be there at 630. I am so nervous and upset - he will be under for TWO MINUTES why does he need to fast for 8 hours??? He is not even 12 months yet.

This is making me seriously doubt the whole thing, but maybe I am just overreacting. I just can't imagine how to get through the night without nursing him and then to make him wait in the morning too. Mad

rise above

Mon, Jun 08 2009, 3:16 pm

My son got tubes at 10 months and I was also really nervous about the fasting becuase he was a big eater. BH he was so tired in the morning as the surgery was scheduled for so early that he just had his pacifier and it was totally OK.
This was the best decision to make and BH he's been ear infection free for almost a year now!

downsyndrome

Mon, Jun 08 2009, 4:35 pm

SV wrote:

. I am so nervous and upset - he will be under for TWO MINUTES why does he need to fast for 8 hours??? He is not even 12 months yet.

Mad

When ANYBODY get anesthesia, everything in their body relaxes, as does the digestive system and if there is recent food in the stomach it can come up and the patient can choke to death ch'v while under anesthesia.

curlyhead

Mon, Jun 08 2009, 4:58 pm

My son got tubes at 20 months. At that point I was still nursing him during the night and of course in the morning. I was also really worried about the fasting. We were scheduled to be there at 7:30 am for the procedure to be 8:30am. B"h it worked out ok. I did not wake him up until we were about to leave the house. I told my other kids to get dressed very quietly. I just woke him up, changed his diaper and took him to the car. This way I avoided the morning feed. In the hospital I just had to distract him with the toys they had there. Just a different setting is some distraction but he did ask a few time.
Is it possible to get your husband to watch him that morning till you are ready to leave the house.

Code:

Ditto. I was teary when he woke up and he was a bit groggy. and hour after he woke up we were able to go home. We were in hospital for 3 hours total!!!
I had a friend's bris that afternoon and my son was fine by it.

ganizzy

Tue, Jun 09 2009, 12:01 am

my dd had the tubes when she was 12 months. I dont remember how long she had to fast, but being a baby that took a bottle practically throughout a night (try to fight a baby that has an ear infection every other week), im sure it was hard. but I dont remember it - so it can be that bad.

when they called me in after the surgery she was really groggy and unhappy. she was screaming and wouldnt calm down until I gave her a bottle (I didnt realize to bring it into the recovery room, so I had to wait till a nurse got my husband to get it - they would only let one of us in at a time bec it was a small room)

the mother of the 3 yr old next to me wasnt so lucky her dd was cranky but too miserable to take any drink or food so the mother had to deal with her for a bit.

they told us that dd would be really tired, but she didnt even fall asleep on the hr long ride home! and this is with being woken up at 6 am.

the nurses told us wed have to use wax in her ears bec the tubes couldnt get wet. after her pulling them out/not letting us put it in - I called the dr. who told its no prob for them to get wet.

we flew international a month later and she was a mechaya to fly with (at least by landing compared to my other dd!!)

rise above

Tue, Jun 09 2009, 1:20 pm

SV wrote:

Thank you everybody for the chizzuk and the advice. BH are back home and it wasn't as bad as I expected though it wasn't too fun. BEH we should have no more ear infections Exclamation

Glad it went OK! Thanks for the feedback