Observation or Otolaryngology Surveillance After Ventilation Tube Insertion in Children

Is observation by general practitioners a sufficient alternative to routine otorhinolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat [ENT]) follow-up for the postoperative care of children with middle-ear ventilation tubes (VTs) in terms of audiometric outcomes?In the multicenter ConVenTu (Control of Ventilation Tubes) noninferiority randomized clinical trial including 290 children between 3 and 10 years of age, hearing outcomes 2 years after VT insertion were noninferior in children assigned to observation by their general practitioner compared to those who underwent routine follow-up through an ENT department.Observation without routine control yielded noninferior audiometric outcomes when compared to routine ENT follow-up 2 years after VT insertion.

Corresponding Author: Rikki Yahiro, MD, Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Postbox 8900, 7491 Trondheim, Norway (rikki.yahiro@ntnu.no).

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