My 18-year-old son is having a left tympanoplasty to remove a very unusual retained T-tube from his middle ear. The tube was placed when he was a young child, migrated into the middle ear, and somehow remained there for years. His eardrum is now completely intact, and the green tube is visible through the eardrum.

He has excellent hearing when he is well (left SRT 0 dB, 100% word recognition, Type A tympanogram), but he continues to have recurrent, very painful left middle-ear infections. He tends to get sick more during the winter.

We saw a neurotologist/otologist who specializes in ear surgery. He believes the retained tube is very likely contributing to the infections and recommends tympanoplasty to remove it. He considers it a routine procedure and does not expect a CT to be necessary. He told us approximately one week off work/school and no flying for two weeks.

Our dilemma is when to schedule it.

He starts college this month. We could do it after his fall semester finals in December and have him recover at home, or wait until next summer when he has a much longer window.

I'm mostly wondering about the real-world recovery, not whether he should have the surgery:

• How long did your ear actually feel weird/full/muffled after tympanoplasty?
• When did your hearing feel normal again?
• Did you have lingering tinnitus, pressure, popping, dizziness, etc.?
• How long before you felt 100%?
• Did you have any problems getting a cold during recovery?
• If you could choose between having surgery during a 3–4 week winter break or waiting for a longer summer break, which would you choose?

I'd especially love to hear from anyone who has had tympanoplasty/middle-ear surgery with otherwise good hearing going into surgery.

Hi, I did have AI help write this but this is truly my son- any advice would be appreciated!

Basic information

• Age: 18
• Sex: Male
• Height: 5'8"
• Weight: 130 lbs
• Medications: none
• Smoking/vaping: Never
• Relevant medical history: longstanding Eustachian tube dysfunction and recurrent otitis media; seasonal/perennial allergies; longstanding left-sided tinnitus
• Other relevant history: multiple sets of ear tubes as a child; adenoidectomy; a left T-tube was placed after a large left tympanic membrane perforation and subsequently migrated into the middle ear. RSV as an infant and is asthmatic. 5 years of allergy shots - does not appear to have reduced any allergies based on recent allergy test and symptoms.
• Current medications/allergies: [LIST]
• Duration: recurrent ear infections since infancy; current retained tube has been present for many years.

Current problem

My 18-year-old son has a very unusual longstanding ear history. A T-tube placed in his left ear as a young child eventually migrated into the middle ear and has remained there for many years. His eardrum is now intact, and the green tube is visible through the eardrum on microscopic examination.

He continues to have recurrent, very painful left acute middle-ear infections (AOM**)**, particularly when he gets sick with a respiratory illness. These are not swimmer's ear and are not specifically associated with swimming. When he is not infected, he feels that his hearing is normal.

We recently saw an otologist/neurotologist who specializes in ear surgery. He examined him under the microscope and diagnosed:

"18 yo M with recurring left AOM in setting of retained tube."

He believes the retained tube is very likely contributing to the recurrent infections and recommends a left tympanoplasty to remove the retained tube from the middle ear. He considers the procedure routine/very low risk and does not feel a CT is necessary.

His June 2026 audiogram was excellent:

• Right SRT: 5 dB, word recognition 100%
• Left SRT: 0 dB, word recognition 100%
• Type A tympanograms bilaterally

The microscopic exam showed an intact left tympanic membrane with the green tube visible within the middle ear. Facial nerve function and the remainder of the neurologic exam were normal.

The surgeon discussed the usual risks of tympanoplasty, including bleeding, infection, hearing loss, dizziness, altered taste, facial weakness, and possible additional surgery. He also explained that he uses intraoperative monitoring.

His postoperative instructions indicate approximately one week off work/school and no flying for two weeks.

My question is timing.

He is starting college this month. We are considering scheduling surgery after his fall-semester finals in December (2nd week), when he can recover at home, versus waiting until next summer.

My concern with December is that he tends to get respiratory/ear infections during the winter (Jan/Feb). I don't know whether having the surgery during cold/flu season creates additional concerns, or whether there could be lingering ear symptoms that would interfere with returning to college first week in January (college is 4.5 hours from home).

For physicians who perform tympanoplasty/middle-ear surgery:

If this were your patient and the surgery is elective with his current infections manageable, would December after finals be a reasonable time, or would you favor waiting until summer?

I'm also interested in firsthand recovery experience:

• How long until the ear felt essentially normal?
• How long did fullness/muffled hearing or other symptoms last?
• Would you be comfortable having this surgery 3–4 weeks before returning to college?
• Does getting a cold during recovery create a meaningful problem?

I'm not asking whether he should have surgery (though please do comment)—the otologist has already recommended it. I'm mainly trying to decide when to schedule it.

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