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Hannu Valtonen, MD, PhD; Henri Tuomilehto, MD, PhD; Yrjö Qvarnberg, MD, PhD; Juhani Nuutinen, MD, PhD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2005;131:293-298.

Objective  To determine 14-year otological outcomes in young children treated with early insertion of ventilation tubes (VTs) for recurrent acute otitis media or otitis media with effusion (OME).

Design  Prospective 14-year follow-up.

Setting  Central Hospital of Central Finland, a tertiary care hospital.

Patients  Three hundred five consecutive infants and young children aged 5 to 16 months with otitis media were enrolled for early initial tympanostomy tube insertion. The final study group comprised 237 patients (77.7%) attending the 14-year checkup.

Main Outcome Measures  At the 14-year checkups, abnormal otological findings were recorded and results compared with those of the 5-year checkups.

Results  From 5 to 14 years’ follow-up, the number of healed ears increased from 156 (65.8%) to 177 (74.7%), while the number healed of ears with abnormal outcomes decreased from 81 (34.2%) to 60 (25.3%). Of 156 healed ears, 142 (91.0%) remained healed, and 35 (43.2%) of 81 ears with abnormal outcomes healed. The proportion of abnormal outcomes was higher among ears with OME (P = .02) and with 3 or more VT insertions (P<.001). Repeated tympanostomy tube insertion was performed in 141 ears (59.5%), more often in those with OME (P = .003), and ear surgery was performed in 9 ears (3.8%), 8 with OME.

Conclusions  Early VT treatment is recommended for young children with recurrent acute otitis media or persistent OME. Parents should be informed of the long follow-up, of the possible need for repeated VT insertion, and of potential sequelae that sometimes necessitate surgical intervention. Patients healed after 5 years do not need further follow-up.

Author Affiliations: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland (Drs Valtonen, Tuomilehto, and Nuutinen); and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Central Hospital of Central Finland, Jyväskylä (Drs Valtonen and Qvarnberg).

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A 14-Year Prospective Follow-up Study of Children Treated Early in Life With Tympanostomy Tubes: Part 2: Hearing Outcomes
Hannu Valtonen, Henri Tuomilehto, Yrjö Qvarnberg, and Juhani Nuutinen
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2005;131(4):299-303.
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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

A 14-Year Prospective Follow-up Study of Children Treated Early in Life With Tympanostomy Tubes: Part 2: Hearing Outcomes
Valtonen et al.
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2005;131:299-303.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT