Surgery Information

pediatric ent associates helpful surgery tips children birmingham alabama Surgery is a stressful and often frightening experience for both parent and child. At Pediatric ENT Associates (PENTA) in Birmingham, Alabama, our goal is to make you and your child as comfortable as possible throughout the entire process. Parents often have questions about post-operative care for their children after a surgery, so we have compiled some general knowledge about our most common surgical procedures here. We hope that this information will help answer your questions and assuage any fears you might have. If you have further questions about any surgical procedure, feel free to contact Pediatric ENT Associates at any time and we will do our best to answer your questions and address your concerns.

Common Surgical Procedures at PENTA

Adenoidectomy

After an adenoidectomy, a slight fever is to be expected for a few days following the procedure. This slight fever should not rise above 101 degrees; if it does, contact us. Snoring is also common following an adenoidectomy, until the swelling disappears. This usually takes around five to seven days. Bad breath as well as head and nasal congestion are also normal following this surgery. There may also be some bleeding from the throat; however, if there is heavy bleeding that continues, contact Pediatric ENT Associates immediately or take your child to emergency care at Children’s of Alabama.

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Myringotomy Tubes

After placement of myringotomy tubes, there may be drainage from the ear canal. This drainage can be clear, yellowish, or tinged with blood. If this happens, use eardrops as prescribed. To prevent your child or baby’s ear infections after tube placement, it is important to keep the ears clean and not allow dirty water to enter the ear canal. If an infection occurs, call your pediatrician and follow any instructions that they give you.

After myringotomy tube placement with Pediatric ENT Associates, only let your child swim with ear plugs in lakes, rivers, or the ocean. Chlorinated swimming pools and clean bath water are okay and do not require ear plugs. Further post-operative myringotomy tube instructions will be given to you upon discharge from the hospital.

Septoplasty

Following a septoplasty, there may be nasal drainage for three to five days. The drainage may be clear or bloody, but if bleeding persists for more than 15 minutes, please call your pediatrician. Your child should not do strenuous activity, including swimming, or blow the nose for two weeks. The head should be elevated when sleeping, and sneezes should be open-mouthed. Do not remove the nasal splints at home; your doctor will remove them when the time comes. Additionally, if stents were placed, a follow-up appointment to have them removed should be made. A saline spray should be used 3 to 4 times a day to keep the mucous membranes from drying out. For more information on septoplasty, visit medlineplus.gov

Tympanoplasty/Mastoidectomy

After a tympanoplasty or mastoidectomy, your child will go home with a neoprene and gauze dressing. The neoprene can be removed the day after surgery; however, the gauze should be left and replaced as needed. There may be drainage from the ear for a few days following the surgery. If your child has an incision behind the ear, it should be cleanedonce a day with peroxide followed by Polysporin. You child should not go swimming or get water in their ear until seen by their surgeon for their post-op visit, nor should they do any physical activity such as biking or running. Prescribed eardrops should be used starting 3-5 days after the surgery, and should be continued until the first post-op visit.

Tonsillectomy

Your child will have a sore throat for seven to ten days following a tonsillectomy, and they may complain of an earache as well. Pain medication may be prescribed to help with this. You child may run a low fever for the first few days; this is to be expected. Make sure that your child drinks plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, which could make the fever worse. A soft diet is also encouraged for at least the first week after surgery.

Your child will have bad breath following the surgery for a week or two. This is due to healing of the tonsillectomy surgery sites, and isn’t something to be concerned about. This bad breath will last even through teeth brushing, but it will go away on its own. In addition, the voice may be high pitched for a few days following surgery.

General Post-Op Surgery Guidelines

It is important not to let your child become dehydrated after any surgery. Cool or room temperature liquids should be given to your child frequently even if he or she complains that it hurts to swallow. Following any surgery, children may become nauseous and have a hard time holding down foods. In this case, feed your child a clear liquid diet until regular foods are tolerated again.

Contact Pediatric ENT Associates About Your Child’s Surgery

If you have any questions about a surgical procedure, whether your child is about to have one or has just gone through one, don’t hesitate to contact Pediatric ENT Associates with any questions. To schedule an appointment or talk to a nurse at our Birmingham office, call (205) 831-0101 today.

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