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How long is recovery from ear tube surgery?

Ear tube surgery has a rapid recovery time. The procedure is done as a same-day outpatient surgery for children and sometimes in the doctor’s office for adults. Regular activity can be resumed within 24 hours of the surgery. Most adults are able to drive themselves home from the doctor’s office after an ear tube insertion.

Your doctor may prescribe antibiotic ear drops to use after the surgery.

Avoid getting water in your ears for the first week after surgery. After this, it is fine to swim and get your head wet. Earplugs are no longer recommended after ear tube surgery. 

Ear tubes will fall out within four to 18 months after surgery. Occasionally, tubes do not fall out on their own and need to be removed with surgery. The holes will heal by themselves. If the holes do not heal on their own, they may require surgical repair.

What is ear tube surgery (myringotomy)?

How long does a myringotomy take?

Does it hurt to have tubes put in your ears?

How long does it take to get your hearing back after a myringotomy?

What are the side effects of getting tubes in your ears?

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

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