ANYONES TODDLER BEEN OPERATED ON FOR ADANOIDS & GROMMITS, HOW OLD?

[girlygirluk]

HI, My DS is 3 in April this year and following examintation and hearing test surgeon says he needs his adanoids removing and grommits put in. Surgeon has said he's happy to do the op, but the final say is down to me as hes still only young and they prefer to do it nearer 4.
Has anyone had any experience on this, have your toddlers had this op, what age and what to expect? Also, heard rumours they cant swim afterwards for a certain amount of time and how long would the recouperation be?
Thanks for any help at all!

[cuppa]

My ds had his adenoids out very young (abot 17 months) due to recurring ear infections (about every month). I'm in CH they don't like grommets here - last resort if adenoid removal doesn't work.

Thankfull it did work for us.

We were warned as they were removed so young they could grow back. He's now 6 & going to ENT specialist next week for check up.

OP was for me terribly traumatic (my baby being put to sleep) but it went well.

[lizbet316]

My DS had grommets put in at 10 months old for recurrent ear infections - worked like a dream. They told us just after the op that he had so much fluid in his ear he would have been almost totally deaf. So glad they did it as it would have really affected his language development (and my sanity ) You can take him swimming if he has proper ear plugs to put in (which the hospital should be able to sort out for you)
No idea if the adenoids will hurt post-op but the grommets don't hurt at all. We had a blessed 18 months free of pain, infection and hearing loss. Hearing test yesterday showed the fluid is back now though and he has mild/moderate hearing loss again. We have antibiotics for 6 weeks and if no improvement then he will have more grommets.
I would advise getting the op done asap as hearing loss in a youngster can cause speech, attention and social problems for years if not properly dealt with (as we have found with my stepson who at 11 is still suffering after effects of glue ear being missed for over a year)
Hope it goes well

[pointydog]

dd2 started having a series of grommet ops from about age 2 I think. Bit of a haze. She had grommets and adenoids together when she was 4.

Quick, straightforward. She had to stay off nursery for a couple of days I think. We stayed in hospital either night before or night after op. Very quick recovery. Can't remember about swimming, sorry. Put cotton wool in ears during bath time.

[pointydog]

dd2 started having a series of grommet ops from about age 2 I think. Bit of a haze. She had grommets and adenoids together when she was 4.

Quick, straightforward. She had to stay off nursery for a couple of days I think. We stayed in hospital either night before or night after op. Very quick recovery. Can't remember about swimming, sorry. Put cotton wool in ears during bath time.

[brandy7]

ds had his adenoids removed with his tonsils aged 2.9years

[milge]

DS had his grommets in a couple of weeks off his 2nd birthday, and is back on the list to be done again age 4. It worked a treat for him in stopping ear infections and burst eardrums. I generally stop him swimming during the winter months but you can with ear plugs in place. DS hates them and refuses to keep them in, so no swimming for him. Good luck.

[eidsvold]

my dd1 was 3 1/2 when she had tonsils, adenoids and grommets.

she was distressed when coming round..... and when she had her first meal - cornflakes - scratchy on her throat.....but very good for them but uncomfortable.

we did not have much pain once home. I think I kept her off kindy for ten days just to limit the risk of bleeding etc.

Grommets - same time - she just has ear plugs and a swim cap to protect her ears.

[frances5]

Yes, at three and half my son had adenoids and grommets. The operation was done as day surgery and my son was happy and bouncing two hours after the op. He was allowed to go home atfter 4 hours.

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Ds1 was just over 3, ds2 was a couple of months under 3. Both had tonsils removed as well as adenoids and grommits fitted.

[CrocodileKate]

My ds had tonsils, adenoids and grommets done at 2 1/2. He was discharged the same day and his usual bouncy self the next day.

[pointydog]

"cornflakes"

what happened to soup, jelly and scrambled eggs

[Madoldcatlady]

DD2 was 7 when she got her tonsils & adenoids
out last summer.

She'd had repeated tonsilitis and reduced hearing in one ear due to a build up of yuck!

The operation was very scary for us adults, but she was excited and not at all worried.

The fasting was awful pre-op. She would usually have a huge breakfast (porrige, toast and boiled eggs). Her op was delayed and by 2pm she was threatening to run away unless they fed her!

Post op she had a bit of bleeding from her tonsil beds, so was kept nil by mouth and given IV fluids over night.(in case she had to go back to theatre)

The advice is for them to start eating and drinking asap post op, so the delay in DDs case made her throat VERY painful the next day, when they said she had to eat before she could be discharged.

I wasn't prepared for just how painful it would be for her and found it very distressing tio see her in so much pain.

The up side is, the pain was short lived (4 days at most and getting easier all the time) and she's never had a poorly day since, after previously being constantly off school with ear infections, tonsilitis etc.

The gromit and removal of adenoids never caused her any pain or concern at all. Your LO will be absolutely fine, and the benefits are well woth it.

[eidsvold]

nah they do rough food like toast, cornflakes etc - apparently helps slough off dead skin etc and prevent infection.

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Oh yes - tpast with crusts for breakfast. No ice-cream these days.

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Toast even!

[foxabout2pop]

Girlygirl - DS has his adenoids/tonsils removed and grommets put in when he was 4 and it changed his life. He had constant infections for about 18 months, glue ear which impaired his hearing and he was small and thin as his throat hurt every time he ate. In addition, he was falling behind at school due to being ill all the time (even when in school, he often felt ill)

I was worried about my small boy having surgery and the worse part was when he was put to sleep, with me holding his hand trying not to look worried.

The op took 45 minutes. He woke a couple of hours later, sat up in bed and said £is it lunch time?". He wolfed down sandwiches, crisps etc and was absolutely fine. He's a big strong boy now and has really blossomed. The downside is that I haven't let him have swimming lessons yet as water can cause ear infections if a child has grommets (you can buy ear plus at £35 a go but apparently the don't work anyway). However, DH taught him to swim on hols in October and he'll get school lessons in Sept anyway.

I would go for the op, but maybe wait until your LO is four if you can hang on that long - if only because it'll be easier for a 4 year old to understand the process. My DD is 3.5 and she wouldn't understand and would get very scared, but then all kids are different and yours might be OK.

Good luck with it

[pointydog]

IN Edinburgh they give 'em soup and jelly. Slough off raw flesh more like. I certainly wouldn't be eating anything rough if it hurt me.

[eidsvold]

fox - this is what dd1 has for swimming - she puts these in and then a swim cap on top.... work brilliant. The audiology dept at the hospital fitted them and they are fab!!

here

[foxabout2pop]

Eids, they looks really good. The ones the NHS here sell are £35 a pair!!

Pointy - I think our hospital recommend dry toast or crisps straight after the op!! to, like you say, slough the dead skin off [yuk]

[pointydog]

Wow. Well I'd be willing to bet no adult eats that after a throat op. I'd bet a lot.

[foxabout2pop]

Pointy I'm always amazed by how brave kids are. DS was in pain for about 18 months with his throat and he never once complained; he just accepted that eating was going to be painful, and lived in a permenantly hungry state poor thing

It was me who was all nuerotic about his op, he just "dealt" with it and got on with his day..

[foxabout2pop]

neurotic

[foxabout2pop]

neurotic

[foxabout2pop]

neurotic

[foxabout2pop]

better quit now, while I'm on top!