Surgery·Surgery
Day of grommets
Informed by recognized medical guidance
Overview
Grommets are tiny tubes that a surgeon places in your child's eardrums. They help drain fluid from the middle ear and let air in, which can improve hearing and reduce ear infections. This surgery is usually done for a condition called 'glue ear' – when sticky fluid builds up behind the eardrum.
Key facts
- Grommets (also called ventilation tubes or tympanostomy tubes) are about the size of a grain of rice.
- The surgery takes about 15 minutes and is done under general anaesthetic – your child will be asleep and feel no pain.
- Grommets usually fall out on their own after 6 to 12 months as the eardrum heals.
Yes, grommets are one of the most common surgeries in children. In the United Kingdom, around 30,000 children have grommets inserted each year.
Grommets are most often placed in children between the ages of 1 and 3, but they can be used in older children and, occasionally, adults. They are used when glue ear has not improved on its own or after watchful waiting.