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Cost of ear tube removal surgery near me

The average cash price for ear tube removal surgery care near you is $1,387 at a surgery center versus $5,973 at an outpatient hospital. While an outpatient hospital may offer more complimentary and support services for patients, the cash price is more than double (77%) the cost of ear tube removal surgery procedures performed at a surgery center. Read More

Average cash price in U.S.

A common ear tube removal surgery at surgery center facility in U.S. includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

Ear, nose, & throat doctor visit provider fee

First time visit Standard
1 $148

Provider fee to repair eardrum

Standard Standard
1 $372

Provider fee to remove implanted eardrum tube under anesthesia

Standard Standard
1 $79

Facility

Surgery center fee to remove implanted eardrum tube under anesthesia

Standard Standard
1 $120

Surgery center fee to repair eardrum

Standard Standard
1 $256

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $16

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 3 Standard
1 $202

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
97 $194
Total average cash price   $1,386.50

A common ear tube removal surgery at outpatient hospital facility in U.S. includes

  Units Avg Cash price

Provider

Ear, nose, & throat doctor visit provider fee

First time visit Standard
1 $148

Provider fee to repair eardrum

Standard Standard
1 $372

Provider fee to remove implanted eardrum tube under anesthesia

Standard Standard
1 $79

Facility

Outpatient Hospital fee to remove implanted eardrum tube under anesthesia

level 4 Standard
1 $3,275

Outpatient Hospital fee to repair eardrum

level 4 Standard
1 $1,687

Prescriptions

HYDROCODONE-ACETAMINOPHEN

Standard Standard
30 $16

Anesthesia

Anesthesiologist fee to be "put under" for procedure

Level 3 Standard
1 $202

Anesthesiologist time to be "put under" for procedure

Per minute Standard
97 $194
Total average cash price   $5,972.50

Tympanostomy tubes are small tubes made from surgical-grade plastic that are placed into a child’s eardrum. For children with recurrent ear infections, these tubes help drain excess fluid from their ears to reduce the number of infections every year.

Most children will lose their ear tubes naturally 6-18 months after the procedure. However, occasionally the tubes can become trapped in the ear and require surgical removal. If a child still has their ear tubes three years after the initial surgery, it might be time to have ear tube removal surgery.

Ear tubes are removed while the child is under general anesthesia. They will not feel any pain during the procedure. Most children do not need pain medication after surgery. However, if additional procedures are necessary to help restore the eardrum’s membrane, some mild discomfort may be present for a week after the surgery.

Most children with tympanostomy tubes do not need them to be surgically removed because they fall out naturally. The design of some tubes is soft and flexible enough to allow your pediatrician to remove them in their office with the help of specially designed tools. For more rigid tubes, surgery is needed to remove the ear tubes safely.

Ear tube surgery is a quick procedure. When placing tympanostomy tubes, the surgeon needs around 30 minutes to make the small incisions and gently insert the tubes into place.

For ear tube removal, the process takes about the same amount of time. The biggest concern with ear tube removal is the long-term health of the eardrum. The surgeon may do an additional procedure called a myringoplasty to help the eardrum heal. Before deciding on a doctor for your child’s ear tube removal surgery, you can view the average cost of tympanostomy tube removal in your area.

Most children quickly recover from ear tube removal. If ear tubes are removed without surgery, children experience almost no downtime.

For surgical ear tube removal, you should take precautionary measures like avoiding vigorous exercise for a few weeks while the eardrum heals. Children typically don’t experience any pain but will need to protect their ears from water until their follow-up appointment to prevent an ear infection.

Once the child’s eardrum heals, they will feel pressure changes for the first time. Pressure changes often occur with changes in weather or altitude. This may be painful or uncomfortable for them. It will take time for them to adjust to these sensations.

For chronic ear infections, ear tubes remain the most common treatment option. Some specialized pediatric surgeons offer alternative procedures. These include laser tuboplasty and balloon dilation eustachian tuboplasty. These are surgical procedures that correct the middle ear issue by entering the ear canal through the nose and expanding the width of the eustachian tube so it may drain more easily. A personalized health insurance plan can help you cover the cost of these alternative procedures.

About the ear tube removal surgery Average Cash Prices

This procedure is most commonly performed at either a surgery center or an outpatient hospital.

Surgery centers, also known as ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), are independent, licensed medical facilities that are governed by distinct regulatory requirements compared with a hospital. Procedures performed at an ASCs are often less expensive than when they are performed at an outpatient hospital, but they typically offer fewer complimentary services, and may not have the full-range of support services that a hospital provides.

Outpatient facilities are outpatient departments or clinics that may be within or next to a hospital, but is owned and run by the affiliated hospital. These facilities can perform surgical treatments and procedures that do not require an overnight stay. Procedures performed at an outpatient hospital are often more expensive than when they are performed in an ambulatory surgery center, but outpatient hospitals may offer more complimentary and support services for patients because they are connected to the hospital system.

* 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.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.