Preventing perioperative obstruction of tympanostomy tubes: a prospective trial of a simple method

Abstract

The intraluminal obstruction of tympanostomy tubes by hemorrhage incurred in the perioperative period is not a rare problem. The exact frequency, however, is unknown and methods of prevention have not been studied. We prospectively investigated a method of unilaterally coating one grommet with antibiotic ointment in 128 children undergoing bilateral tympanostomy tube placement; the contralateral tube was not treated. We established the incidence of intraluminal obstruction by blood in untreated grommets to be 4.7%. The incidence of hemorrhagic obstruction of the coated tubes was less (2.3%) but did not achieve statistical significance ( P <0.20). The technique of antibiotic ointment application to the tympanostomy tube at the time of surgery was not sufficiently efficacious to justify routine use.