Effusion Persisting in Surgery — 5yo Child | ENT | SMLE Q#18777
SMLE Question #18777
Surgery
ENT
Objective: OBJ-ENT-OME-001
Last updated: March 2026
A 5-year-old child is evaluated in an ENT clinic for otitis media with effusion persisting for 4 months despite observation. Parents report reduced hearing and difficulty understanding speech in noise at school. Otoscopy shows bilaterally dull, retracted tympanic membranes with visible air-fluid levels. Tympanometry is type B bilaterally, and audiometry demonstrates bilateral conductive hearing loss with an average air–bone gap of 25 dB. Which surgical option is most appropriate?
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