My child’s breath smells very bad after tonsillectomy and there is a white film covering his throat. Are the tonsil beds infected?

“ Bad Breath” is normal after this procedure. The white film represents the “scab” tissue separating from the throat and will improve in about one week.

How do I keep my child’s ears dry after ear surgery?

Keep the ears dry while bathing , showering, washing hair or swimming. You may use wax ear plugs (Mack’s plugs) or a cottonball coated with vasoline and placed in the outer ear. The Mack’s plugs are available at most retail drugstores (Revco, Eckerd’s, Wal-Mart). We also have plugs available in our office. Even with plugs, I would prefer you not submerge your head underwater. A tight fitting bathing cap is also useful. An inadvertent dunk while using ear plugs and a swimming cap will probably be ok.

I saw blood on my child’s pillow after surgery, is this normal?

Do not be alarmed if you notice a few drops of blood on the cottonball placed in the ears after surgery. This is perfectly normal. It is not unusual to notice a small amount of blood on the pillow (no bigger than the size of a quarter). This can last up to 2-3 days after surgery. If bleeding persists for a long time, please call our office. Any drainage from the ears after 72 hours is not normal. If the drainage persists, you should use the Cortisporin Otic Suspension drops placing 3 drops 3 times a day for 7 days. Remember to call my office so that we can be aware of the situation.