A grommet is a miniature plastic tube that is placed inside an especially created hole in the eardrum so as to let the air get in and out and improve ventilation of the middle ear. Myringotomy with grommet insertion is conducted in patients suffering from a condition called glue ear (secretory or serous otitis media) i.e. fluid accumulation in ear, or those with a retracted eardrum.
Such conditions afflict children more than they do the adults and have an adverse effect on hearing and speech faculties of the patient. Grommets can remain inside the ear for 6 months to a year (sometimes longer). As the eardrum grows, grommets fall out by themselves and this extrusion is rarely noticed. This surgery is mostly performed under a short-duration general anaesthesia. While the grommet can cause some scarring in the eardrum, it has no adverse effect on the hearing ability.
