Patient: I saw green tubes in both ears. I had surgery on May 19 to remove the adenoids and to remove the straight tubes in both ears for otitis media. Why can I see the green tubes now? Yin Shankai, Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital: First of all, did my family see the green tubes in both ears, or did the doctor see them when I went to the hospital for follow-up? In oozing otitis media, tympanic tubes are placed for the purpose of drainage. The length of time the tube is left in place varies, but depending on the child’s condition, the tube can be kept in place for about 6 months, and can be extended to 1 year. After the eustachian tube has recovered, most of the tubes will fall out on their own. It is recommended that you come back to the hospital periodically to check if the tube is in place or dislodged because a small portion of the tube does remain outside the tympanic membrane when it is placed. Patient: We can see the green tube when we shine a flashlight at home, and we can see it in both ears. Is it normal to see small green tubes? Yin Shankai, Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital: It is true that during surgery, a small section of the end of the ventilation tube is placed on the outside of the tympanic membrane for fixation purposes. Have you ever come to the hospital for follow-up after surgery? You can bring your child to the hospital for a follow-up visit to have the ear canal secretions treated by a specialist with the assistance of specialized instruments. Patient: I haven’t been to the hospital for a follow-up after the surgery, but I have already pulled out the earwax from my baby’s ear, and he didn’t feel any pain when I pulled it out. Now that there are no more impurities in his ears, do I have to go to the hospital for a review? Yin Shankai, Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital: The first review should be done on the main doctor’s clinic day the following week after discharge, which should be indicated on the discharge summary. Then the next review should be scheduled according to the doctor’s recommendation. You should go to the hospital for a review. The skin of the external ear canal wall is more delicate in children, so improper ear-pulling at will may easily cause skin damage or infection, so please follow the doctor’s advice.