Ear Tubes

Our three-year-old foster child has poor hearing. The doctor wants to drain her ears and fit ear tubes. Should the doctor do the ear draining procedure without having specially manufactured, individualized tubes?

If the ear canals and eardrums are large enough to permit placement of a commercially available myringotomy tube, that is preferable. Custom-made tubes are utilized only when the anatomy does not allow utilization of standard devices.

RS/TK 7-13-10

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