Avoidance of postoperative blockage of ventilation tubes

While most of the complications of ventilation tubes are widely described in the literature, little is mentioned about postoperative blockage of these tubes. Generally, this blockage is caused by viscid secretion or a blood clot. This study was conducted to assess the effect of using a vasoconstrictor solution to cover the tympanic membrane after ventilation tube insertion to ensure hemostasis in the immediate postoperative period and to decongest the mucosa of the middle ear and the eustachian tube. Xylometazoline hydrochloride (Otrivin Nasal Drops 0.1% or Pediatric Nasal Drops 0.05%) was introduced into 60 ears in 32 patients undergoing myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion. The control group, consisting of 76 ears in 40 patients, underwent only myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion. In a follow-up period of 3 months, postoperative tube obstruction occurred 10.5% of the patients in the control group. No case of blocked tube occurred in the patients who received xylometazoline.