Clinic to Same Day Surgery Program: Texas Children’s Offers Fast Care to Patients Needing Ear Tube Surgery

Families reflect on convenient and expedited treatment at Texas Children’s Clinic to Same Day Surgery Program. 

Maverick was 15 months old when he came to Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus for ear tube surgery.

“He had eight ear infections within a single year,” recalled his mother, Kylee. “His older brother, Emerson — my first son — had similar issues, and ear tubes really helped. They made a huge difference.”

Emerson’s frequent ear infections had undermined his hearing and speech development. “We live close to a private airport, and you can see jets from our living room,” said Kylee. “We had no idea that Emerson couldn’t hear them. A few weeks after his ear tubes were placed, Emerson looked out the window and said, ‘I hear the airplane!’ His speech improved after that. Also, ear tubes greatly reduced the number of times we had to bring him to his pediatrician for infections. ” 

With such positive results, Kylee knew ear tubes would help Maverick when he started suffering ear infections.    

“But the great thing about Maverick’s surgery was that it all happened within one day,” said Kylee. “With Emerson, we had to see a doctor, get the assessment and referral, and then schedule the surgery. The process took about two weeks. But every day counts when your child is in pain with an ear infection. We were really happy with the expedited treatment for Maverick.”

What are ear tubes?

Ear tubes are tiny cylinders, usually made of plastic or metal, surgically inserted into the eardrum. They create a passageway to ventilate the middle ear and prevent fluid from building up behind it. 

There are different reasons why children receive ear tubes. Each child’s unique history of ear infections, as well as language, speech and intellectual development, will ultimately affect the decision of who will benefit from tube surgery. Patients eligible for the Clinic to Same Day Surgery Program are children between the ages of 6 months and 3 years who:

• Have had 3 or more ear infections in 6 months or 4 or more ear infections in 12 months.
• Do not have any complex medical history.
• Have not had any prior ear tube placements.
• Have no previous appointments with an Otolaryngologist.

Medical management is always the first line of treatment, but if a patient has not improved with medications, the option for tube placement deserves serious consideration. Learn more about ear tube surgery. 

Clinic to Same Day Surgery Program 

Thanks to Texas Children’s Clinic to Same Day Surgery Program, Maverick received his ear tubes on the same day he was diagnosed.  

“The Clinic to Same Day Surgery Program offers a fast track to treatment,” explains Alphonso Clemente, BSN, RN, Program Coordinator in the Ear, Nose and Throat Program at Texas Children’s Hospital. “Patients will be seen on a Friday morning in our clinic, and I’ll walk them down the hall to have the surgery that same day. It’s a huge benefit — especially for parents who live far away or can’t get time off work. Currently, we have the program running on the second and fourth Friday of every month. My goal is to increase that to every Friday. Families really love this program.”  

“It’s so convenient for scheduling,” agreed Kylee. “Instead of taking time off work to go back to the hospital for two appointments, using up PTO and working out the daycare situation for my other children, it was great to get everything done in one session. I highly recommend it to other families.” 

Another patient who benefited from the program came from Canada for treatment. Sophie’s son, Owen, was born in Houston at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, but his family moved to Canada for work when he was nine months old. “We know how amazing the care is at Texas Children’s, and thanks to the Same Day Surgery Program, it was actually quicker for us to fly to Houston than to wait for treatment in Canada,” said Sophie. “The surgery itself was very easy — it took like 20 minutes. We flew back to Canada a few days later, but I still reach out to Owen’s doctors at Texas Children’s whenever I have follow-up questions. They’re always so helpful and responsive.”    

Dr. MaryFrances Musso, Director of Otolaryngology Inpatient and Outpatient Clinical Services at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus and Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, oversees the Clinic to Same Day Surgery Program at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus. “It’s tremendously gratifying to be able to give parents the help they need in such a timely manner,” said Dr. Musso. “I know it can be stressful when a child is sick and parents have to wait a long time for treatment. At Texas Children’s, our goal is to help families as quickly as possible.”  

To schedule an appointment, call 832-822-2778. Learn more about Texas Children’s Ear, Nose and Throat (Otolaryngology) Division.