How long to keep ear tubes in? how long does a child who was getting ear infections almost monthly need to keep ear tubes in? the doctor said theyd fall out by themselves, but what if they fall out too soon and he starts getting infections again?

Standard : Standard tubes typically stay in place for 9 - 18 months. It is fine if they stay in longer than that up to 3 years. At this point, the chances of having a permanent hole remain, after the tube falls out, increases. T-tubes are designed to stay in longer. If the tubes fall out and your child starts having infections again, the tubes can be replaced, and often the adenoids are removed as well.

Ear Tubes: The tubes usually stay in for about a year. They usually fall out by themselves. Most of the time once they come out the child will do fine. However if they start getting ear infections again or if they come out too early the tubes can be replace. It is a quick procedure with no significant complications and the kids recover quickly.