A new study suggests that children who typically receive an operation to insert ear tubes because of ear infections or fluid in the ear may not need it, according to clinical practice guidelines. The research, conducted by Salomeh Keyhani, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and her multidisciplinary team of colleagues, found that most children who had ear tube operations in the New York City area in 2002 had mild disease for which experts recommend either medical treatment or watchful waiting—not ear tube implantation. These findings suggest overuse of ear tubes and update a similar finding made about this practice in the United States in 1990-1991.
