My 10 month old had tubes put in his ears on monday. he was given gas. could crankiness be linked to anesthesia since tubes shouldn't cause pain?

Ear tube pain: It's probably not the anesthesia! Generally speaking, anesthesia and its after effects can linger in children for 24-48 hours, but don't generally cause new crankiness this far out. The tubes can definitely cause some discomfort, which should be very responsive to tylenol (acetaminophen).

Give your ENT a call: It's true that the procedure is typically painless, requiring no post-op pain control, but every child is different. I'd give your ENT a call and let them know what's going on--after all, they were there when it happened! In the meantime, over-the-counter Tylenol (acetaminophen) may help if it is pain-related (use only as directed!); ibuprofen (Motrin) is usually avoided in the immediate post-op period.

Yes: His crankiness could indeed be left over effects of his anesthetic causing him to feel "off". Be loving, cuddle a lot, play peek-a-boo with him a hundred times and wait a few days. If he's not back to himself by the end of the week, then it's time to investigate next week. If he starts running fever or other symptoms, have him peeked at sooner.