Science / Medicine : Study of Adenoid Surgeries

Putting tubes in the eardrums of children with long-term ear infections may be less effective than an older operation that is now out of favor, Texas researchers said.

Reporting their results in the New England Journal of Medicine, they recommended reviving the technique of removing adenoid tissue from the top of the windpipe, called an adenoidectomy.

The conclusion was reached after studying case histories of 578 children who received a variety of treatments. The researchers found that tubes successfully eliminated the problem of fluid buildup 29% of the time.

Puncturing the eardrum and removing the adenoids worked 38% of the time. An adenoidectomy combined with tubes prevented the problem from reappearing in 47% of the cases.

The team, led by Dr. George Gates of the University of Texas Health Science Center, said its findings were “substantial enough” to justify use of adenoidectomy as part of the primary surgical therapy for chronic ear infections.