Ear Tube placement is one of the most popular surgeries performed on children. Along with the removal of Tonsils and Adenoids, the ENT team at St. Cloud Surgical Center stays busy helping our littlest patients!
A Myringotomy, or ear tube surgery, is one of the most popular procedures done by the ENT specialists at St. Cloud Surgical Center. Ear tube surgery is best thought of as a ventilation surgery. Tubes are typically needed when the eustachian tube from the nose to the ear is not allowing the necessary amount of ventilation, resulting in ear infections, fluid building up, and more. We recently sat down with Dr. Theodore Truitt to learn more about this popular procedure, including how you, as the parent, can prepare.
Why does my child need ear tubes?
Recurrent ear infections are the #1 reason parents consider ear tubes for their children. Children who start getting 4, 5, or 6 ear infections in a year and rotate through antibiotics are prime candidates for a myringotomy. Tubes put an end to all infections. Another reason a child might need tubes is for fluid build-up that results in difficulty hearing. Sometimes, it’s a combination of the two. To clear the fluid and prevent further infections, tubes will be placed to ventilate the space allowing your child to hear better and spend less time at the doctor.
Do tubes need to be removed?
Short answer, sometimes but not always.
Long answer, there are two types of tubes, Short Acting, aka temporary tubes, and Long-Acting, aka permanent tubes. Removal of the tubes depends on what type your child has.
Short Acting (Temporary Tubes): Last about 6 to 18 months. The eardrum will start working on a process of growing underneath the tube and pushing them out—roughly 5% of the time, we have to take temporary tubes out in the office.
Long Acting (Permanent tubes): These tubes are reserved for children with chronic problems, and you expect to continue placing tubes in the child’s ear until they reach a certain age. In this case, putting in a longer-lasting tube is better. The downside to this option is that there will be a hole in the drum when the tube comes out, and the longer that tube is there. The chance of the hole closing on its own is lower, meaning a future surgery might be necessary. Once these tubes have been in for about 2 to 3 years, we like to schedule removal and assess from there.
I’m a parent, and I’m nervous. Is that normal?
Parents, we know how you feel, mainly because most of us are parents, too! Being nervous is normal when your child is undergoing any type of surgery. At St. Cloud Surgical Center, we do everything possible to make the experience comfortable for you and your little ones. You’ll have the opportunity to hold your child’s hand as they go back to the OR, and once the short procedure is complete, we’ll bring them to the room where you are waiting. Your face is the first they see when they wake up!
Thankfully, surgery and recovery time for ear tube surgery is speedy, with most patients back to normal in two hours. Yes, we said hours. In fact, the feedback we often hear from parents, “Wow, it doesn’t even feel like my child had surgery!” As the week progress, your child may be able to hear and balance better, and you’ll noticeably have spent less time at the doctor. So, while it seems scary initially, ear tube surgery benefits you and your child.
Bottomline, Dr. Truitt and the rest of the ENT surgeons are confident in the team at St. Cloud Surgical Center. Together, we’ll make sure your child’s surgery is short, and recovery is quick!
If one of your 2023 goals is to get a better night’s sleep due to ongoing sleep apnea concerns, it might be time to look into Inspire.
No mask. No hose. Just Sleep.™ Inspire is the only FDA-approved obstructive sleep apnea treatment that works inside your body to treat the root cause of sleep apnea with just the click of a button. At St. Cloud Surgical Center, we are lucky enough to have two of the foremost doctors in sleep apnea surgery on our team. Dr. Ronald Hanson and Dr. Amy Dearking are trained Inspire physicians and have been using this system with their patients for years, with hundreds of successful outcomes.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SLEEP APNEA
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder where breathing is repeatedly interrupted during sleep.
There are three main types of sleep apnea.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): The most common form occurs when throat muscles relax and block airflow to the lungs.
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA): A type of sleep apnea occurs when the brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
Mixed or Complex Sleep Apnea: When both OSA and CSA occur during sleep.
While some extra snoring at night may not seem like the end of the world, it is imperative not to let it go untreated. Untreated sleep apnea can be extremely dangerous, leading to serious health risks such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and more, including mental and emotional issues due to lack of sleep.
SIGNS YOU MIGHT HAVE SLEEP APNEA:
You or your partner reports loud snoring
You have episodes during sleep in which you stop breathing
You are gasping for air during sleep
You awaken with a dry mouth
.You have consistent morning headaches
You have difficulty staying asleep ( insomnia)
You have excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
You have difficulty paying attention when awake
You find yourself becoming more irritable
Sleep Apnea type can be challenging to diagnose as some symptoms may overlap, but it’s important not to let multiple symptoms go unreported to your doctor. You and your partner don’t have to suffer in silence.
HOW INSPIRE CAN HELP YOU GET A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP
Many people have heard of the CPAP machine, and while it works for some, it may not work for all. Studies have shown only about 50% of people can tolerate and consistently benefit from CPAP. If you, or someone you know, might be struggling with a CPAP, Inspire could be the solution.
Unlike a CPAP, Inspire works inside your body, allowing you to sleep without a mask or hose. You simply turn on your device at night by clicking a button on your Inspire Sleep Remote. While you sleep, Inspire will gently deliver a pulse to your tongue to keep your airway open, thus preventing apneas from occurring. Learn more about Inspire from Drs. Hanson or Dearking and how it can help you.
Patient Outcomes
90% of bed partners report no snoring or soft snoring
91% of people are satisfied with Inspire
79% reduction in sleep apnea events
94% of Inspire patients say Inspire is better than CPAP & would recommend Inspire to others
“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
-Abraham Lincoln
Another year has come and gone at the St. Cloud Surgical Center. As we welcome the New Year in a few short weeks, we want to take a moment to reflect on the momentous things that happened in and around our facility this year. We have a lot to celebrate in 2022, and we feel those memories deserve a permanent spot on our blog. Take a trip down memory lane with us!
WINTER
After over a year of ongoing construction, we finally wrapped up the expansion and remodeling at St. Cloud Surgical Center. We talked about the process, upgrades, and vision for the future here.
Team members honored the work of MLK by donating their team and talents, as well as donations, to local homeless shelters.
SPRING
In March, we celebrated our 2022 Values Hero, Amy Brinkman! The St. Cloud Surgical Center’s Values Hero Program recognizes teammates who demonstrate a special commitment to our values of Clinical Quality, Integrity, Service Excellence, Teamwork, Accountability, Continuous Improvement & Inclusion. Amy does all that and more, a well-deserved Values Hero, no doubt!
We love to celebrate our team and never miss a national day, especially when it’s for our team of incredible doctors! As a bonus, we were able to give back to the community by purchasing lunch for our staff from Jersey Mike’s during their campaign for Special Olympics. 100% of the proceeds were donated to the cause, and we were thrilled to be a part of it!
Every year our patients participate in a Physician Satisfaction Survey, and we were thrilled to receive a 93% satisfaction rating. Some of the things patients said were:
“Best Same Day Surgery Center I have ever worked at. Very efficient. Very user-friendly. Excellent and nice nurses, anesthesia personnel, and administrative staff.”
“I have been utilizing the facility for the last 23 years, and have not met any other team more efficiently than the one at the SCSC.”
“I have seen changes at the Center, and they always point in the right direction. A true privilege to be part of the SCSC family!”
SUMMER
In June, we started on our remodel in PACU – Admit area. The remodel would allow for larger door openings, new recliner chairs, and updated ceilings, lights, floors, and walls. The goal was to create a better patient experience and working environment in this area!
We spent most of the early summer months planning our 50th Anniversary party! From advertising, creating invites, and working with vendors, it was a crazy time of year for the St. Cloud Surgical Center Administrative Staff!
On August 10th, we celebrated St. Cloud Surgical Center’s 50th Anniversary with staff, family, friends, and the entire Central Minnesota community. To make the night even better, our founder, Dr. Joseph Belshe, 101 years old, traveled from Florida to attend. Read more about our party here.
FALL
Clap your hands. St. Cloud Surgical Center was named #1 in Minnesota and #24 in the country by Newsweek® in their 2023 America’s Best ASCs list! We are beyond proud of this accomplishment.
In November, our team put together a fantastic fundraiser, “Harvest to Holiday Adoptive Family Program.” With teamwork, each department joined forces and gift baskets were created and put on display. Teammates nominated families that needed a hand up, and we were able to support 12 families this year!
2022 was an incredible year at the Center, and we are excited to see what the future holds! 2023 is going to be another one for the books. See you in the New Year!
The human hand is incredibly complex. For Dr. Andrew Staiger, that complexity is what attracted him, as an orthopedic surgeon, to specialize in matters of the hand.
With 29 major joints, 123 ligaments, 24 muscles, 48 nerves, and 30 arteries, operating on the hand is no small feat. Every case brings a new challenge as you navigate through the intricacies of the human hand’s anatomy. These challenges are ones Dr. Staiger faces head-on. He knows how important it is to have proper function in your hand and no pain because for most of us, it’s how we communicate, touch, work, and so much more. Whether you are experiencing pain from arthritis, carpal tunnel, trigger finger, or another hand issue, Dr. Staiger and the team of Orthopedic Hand Surgeons at St. Cloud Surgical Center are here to help you get back to living your life without pain.
While there are many common issues of the hand, today we’re going to discuss Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a condition that affects 3 to 6% of the adult population. For many years, we believed the cause of carpal tunnel was an overuse of keyboards, pianos, etc. but in recent years, studies have shown there is no known cause for carpal tunnel. It is an idiopathic condition, meaning “of itself”, there is no certain origin, and it arises spontaneously in the general population.
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs on its own when a thickening along the tendons occurs. The carpal tunnel is a very finite space, and when this thickening takes place, the nerve is trapped or pinched and starts causing symptoms of numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain. For some patients, it can be managed without surgery by doing the following:
Frequent breaks to rest hands
Avoiding Activities that make symptoms worse
Nerve gliding techniques and hand/wrist stretches which can be taught by a hand therapist
Wrist splinting during aggravating activities and while sleeping to relieve nighttime symptoms of tingling and numbness
Intermittent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, etc.) and/or acetaminophen (Tylenol) may relieve pain in the short term
Use of corticosteroids injected by a physician into the carpal tunnel to relieve pain may provide short-term benefits as well
After trying a combination of these non-surgical methods and seeing little relief, it may be time to consider surgery with a physician like Dr. Staiger at St. Cloud Surgical Center. The Carpal Tunnel Release procedure is the most common among hand surgeons, and with a success rate of 98%, it is also the most successful. The outcomes of this procedure are very good, and the chance of recurrence is around 5%. If recurrence does emerge, it would typically be 10 to 15 years down the road. Carpal Tunnel Release surgery has been shown to be a very safe and effective option to relieve the pain you are experiencing with very low risks.
There is a short amount of rehab and recovery that will take place after your surgery. Dr. Staiger recommends gripping and lifting no more than 5 lbs during the first 6 weeks of healing. The symptoms patients experience before surgery typically resolve very quickly after surgery making this one of the best life-altering procedures available. If you are experiencing these symptoms, we can help!
For more information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Andrew Staiger to talk about your symptoms, click here.
