Adenoidectomy for secretory otitis media.

Thirty years of treating secretory otitis media by what is presently considered an alternate approach is discussed. Early experience with using a polyethylene tube in one ear only led to a formal study of the efficacy of polyethylene tube use when combined with adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy. This study included 31 children with chronic bilateral secretory otitis media treated by tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. At the time of surgery, one ear was intubated and the other served as a control with no treatment. Using audiometric criteria, it was found that there was no significant difference between the intubated and control ears after a 6- to 8-week follow-up. Also documented is a series of 425 children suffering from chronic secretory otitis media, all of whom were resistant to prior ear, nose, and throat or pediatric treatment. Fifty-three children had tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies without tube insertion and were followed up for at least 1 year. Audiometry was used to measure the result of therapy that was successful in more than 90% of the patients.