Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Could I hear everyones experience of grommets please? dd1 (7) seems to need them

26 replies

TrinityRhino · 22/06/2007 06:32

dd1 (7) has had trouble with her left ear for about 8 months.
She has had them syringed, then she got an infection, then another and has had trouble with her hearing and on and off pain for the last 8 months. we were waiting on a refferal to the Ear, Nose and Throat clinic and we finally had the app yesterday. We have been told that she has glue ear and to solve it she will need a grommet in her left ear. We could leave it to rectify itself as her tubes get bigger but that could take 4 years apparently.
I have no experience of grommets, I have read the info but would like some peoples real experiences as I am am anxious about the whole prospect of it.

OP posts:
Original poster
TrinityRhino · 22/06/2007 06:34

just realised what a stupidly early time I have posted this

OP posts:
Shoshable · 22/06/2007 06:39

Hiya Trinty, DS had them done at 4, and they were the best thing that he could have had done, up till then he had been permently on Antibiotics, as he had toncillitis everytime, he went in had his tonsils, adinoids out and grommets in, it was a bit scary for me (worst bit was it was in a old hospital in Salisbury, which in those days the operating thetre was the other side of the car park, had to be wheeled across covered in blankets and a umberlla, it was snowing!!!) but he was so much better after. His hearing had been so affected, more than I realised, suddenly he was turning the tv down, and doing things 1st time asked!

Original poster
TrinityRhino · 22/06/2007 06:42

thanks shosha
does it take long to recover from the op and aneasthetic?

OP posts:
Shoshable · 22/06/2007 06:48

It was 24 years ago, but no he came around withingh minutes of coming into the recovery room, and we were due to go home two days later, but got snowed in! He went back to school withing about two weeks i seem to remember.

Original poster
TrinityRhino · 22/06/2007 06:49

thanks shosha, that doesn't sound too bad at all

OP posts:
Original poster
TrinityRhino · 22/06/2007 07:42

bump

OP posts:
weebleswobble · 22/06/2007 07:46

Ds2 had grommets in both ears at 19 months. He was home later the same morning and back to normal by the next day. He didn't have any more ear infections after having grommets and could hear . They fell out a couple of years later and he's had no problems since.

Original poster
TrinityRhino · 22/06/2007 07:46

thanks weeble, sounds good

OP posts:
inthepink · 22/06/2007 07:49

Hi TrinityRhino, my ds (5) had grommets in both ears 3 months ago, he was in theatre for about 20 mins, back in bed and asking for his breakfast 20 - 30 mins later!! and back home a couple of hours after that, and what a difference, we no longer have to shout (well, not all the time!) tv can be at a normal level and he now recognises phonics at school whereas he has struggled through reception and most of year 1, his speech has also improved, he had previously been for speech therapy.

HTH

ghosty · 22/06/2007 07:49

Hi Trinity
DS had them when he was 5. It was such a simple and easy procedure. He was out of my sight for a maximum of half an hour ... They brought him back to me when he was just coming too and he was so sweet ... like he was little bit drunk ...
He was a bit tired the rest of the day and the next day he was as right as rain.
He had a history of ear infections and it ended up that he was lip reading in school ... which was astounding as the teacher had no idea he was struggling; he wasn't having any problems that she could see.
They lasted 2 years and only recently fell out ...

He hasn't had any ear infections since then (the grommets help the fluid to drain out before getting infected and painful)

Yorkiegirl · 22/06/2007 07:52

Message withdrawn

eidsvold · 22/06/2007 07:52

dd1 had grommets in and tonsils and adenoids out - as they were HUGE! Her hearing and her speech improved out of sight when she had the op. We are just waiting to see if she needs another set - a year after her first. She is almost 5 and we have also been told it will rectify itself when she is older.

Her recovery from surgery was fine. In fact she recovered better than some of the older kids in there. She was 3 1/2 when she had it done. Dd1 had an overnight stay as she had the tonsils and adenoids out and has a heart condition so they wanted to keep her in overnight to make sure she was fine

For just the grommets - day surgery - in the morning - providing all goes well - out in the afternoon.

SSSandy2 · 22/06/2007 07:58

dd needed the grommets, it was worth doing, she had not been hearing properly. The surgeon said she would have been hearing as if she were under water the whole time which affected her speech learning too. Then of course all the continual infections. The fluid in the ear had also begun to deform the tubes so it was very necessary in dd's case. We never had another ear infection afterwards.

At the same time she had adenoids removed. This was horrible for her. She had a lot of pain, vomitting, nausea and she was really really unhappy. We had to get some antibiotics to deal with it and that gave her a painful rash all over her body. I wish we hadn't done this part of it and I wouldn't do it again but for us the grommets were a help. If you're just having grommets inserted, I think it should be fine although I've been told it often isn't necessary, it was in dd's case.

Original poster
TrinityRhino · 22/06/2007 08:05

thanks for all your replies
we will be thinking about it very carefully

OP posts:
CaptainUnderpants · 22/06/2007 08:09

my Ds had grommets in both ears in may this year. He is nearly 5 yrs. Apparently alot of gunky fuild in both ears the consultant said .

A simple op done under general , howver at the hospital they took me into the op room whilst they put him under and I was in tears !

Saying that he was out in about 20 mins , a bit grumpy for about 30 mins then bouncing around ! he hasn't stopped since.

He has been more lively since the grommets and we are back for our check up in about 4 weeks.

Unfortuntely he cannot go swimming until he has his check up.

The hospital staff and consulatant were great , explained everything to me and him !

pointydog · 22/06/2007 08:30

dd2 had four or five lots of grommets (both ears) between the ages of 18 months and 4.

Hers always fell out after about six months and then she ended up with exactly the same problem again and again and again. So wasn't brilliant for us.

But in terms of the op, very quick, a matter of minutes, very quick recovery, no discomfort at all just child's surprise at how loud things are.

Original poster
TrinityRhino · 22/06/2007 10:13

thanks for your replies
no horror stories yet
bumping for custy and others with any experience of this

OP posts:
Original poster
TrinityRhino · 22/06/2007 11:34

blumpity flump

OP posts:
frances5 · 22/06/2007 11:39

Sorry, I've got a horror story about grommets. My son had them and had his adenoids out at three and half years old. The grommets came out after 8 weeks and left perforations in the ears that took nine months to heal. During that time my son ears had a constant stream of stinking pus. We were seeing the ent consultant every 4 weeks and had about 9 different antibiotics in 6 months.

My son is now wears hearing aids to help with the glue ear instead. Grommets are sucessful for about 95% percent of children, however its important to be aware of the risks.

Original poster
TrinityRhino · 22/06/2007 11:45

thankyou france
sorry your ds had to go through that

OP posts:
Rhubarb · 22/06/2007 13:39

grommity bump

Hassled · 22/06/2007 13:42

When DS1 was 4 he had grommets in both ears - all very untraumatic and astonishing results in terms of his speech, not having to shout etc. What I wasn't prepared for was the stream of yuck/wax/goo that seeped out of his ears for days afterwards - no wonder the poor kid had had hearing problems.
He is now nearly 20 and still has the waxiest ears I've ever seen - don't know if that was an effect of the grommets or whether the original cause still exists.

Tortington · 22/06/2007 23:37

sorry no experiences of grommits. dd was deaf for a while she isn't now, but if ever hearing aid stuff comes up - i'm yer gal,

eidsvold · 22/06/2007 23:50

i was very anti grommets and I know that in the UK they seemed to prefer other measures first before grommets - well dd1's ent team did.

I reluctantly agreed to let her have them done last year ( as per earlier message) and when I saw the difference - i am sad that I was so reluctant.

having said that - am not sure how much not having huge tonsils and adenoids that would have kept gunk in head rather than letting it drain away also contributed to her hearing issues.

so as I said - we may be having a second set in the next few months.

Flumpybumpy · 23/06/2007 10:59

DD had her grommits fitted on Weds and she is fine. Apparantly she was virtually deaf in her right ear acoording to surgeon who spoke to us after the op which explains a lot.

The hardest part was being with her whilst she went under. I was very strong until she closed her eyes then I went to pieces. The whole op took about 30mins ans she was up and bouncing around like Tigger about an hour or so after she came round.

You do have be careful afterwards that her ears don't get wet and swimming is a no-no for a while.

I think the grommits are best thing we have done, she is much happier, better behaved and can hear everything so I am not spending my time shouting at her all day.

HTH

FB x