What Level of Follow-Up Is Needed for Children with Ear Tubes?

Insertion of myringotomy tubes is the most common ambulatory surgery in children. Some medical guidelines recommend repeated postoperative otolaryngology visits to monitor for complications. However, most families do not complete long-term specialist follow-up, and evidence supporting its benefit is limited. Researchers in Norway conducted a multicenter, randomized trial to test whether primary care–based observation during usual care was noninferior to otolaryngology follow-up visits every 6 months.

The study group consisted of 310 children (age range, 3–10 years; mean age, 4 years) without medical comorbidities or severe hearing loss. The primary outcome was hearing assessment at 2 years after tube insertion.