ENT, Head and Neck Surgery
Grommet Insertion in Nigeria
A tiny tube is placed in the eardrum to drain fluid and let the middle ear breathe. It is usually done for a child whose hearing has been dulled by glue ear, and it takes about ten minutes.
Also called: Ventilation tubes, Tympanostomy tubes, Myringotomy and grommets
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed 3 October 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Published price
₦195,000
Fixed all-in case rate, both ears
Day case. Home within a couple of hours.
What the price covers
- Surgeon and assistant fees
- Anaesthetist and theatre time
- Standard consumables for the operation
- Your bed for the expected stay
- Routine medication while you are admitted
- The post-operative review at six weeks
What it does not cover
- The first consultation and the tests that confirm you need the operation
- Treating conditions found during work-up, such as uncontrolled diabetes or an untreated infection
- Take-home medication after discharge
- Care for complications needing intensive care or a return to theatre
Related prices
Grommets with adenoidectomy
₦320,000
Hearing assessment, audiometry and tympanometry
Needed before surgery, and repeated afterwards to show it worked.
₦35,000
What would change this price
- Adenoidectomy at the same time, priced separately above
- An overnight stay, occasionally needed for a very young child
- Replacement grommets later, if the fluid returns after the first set extrude
If an HMO is paying, the case needs prior authorisation before admission. Bring your HMO number to the first consultation and the desk will start it. If the plan declines, you are told the cash price before anything is booked.
Who this is for
- Fluid behind the eardrum persisting more than three months with hearing loss confirmed on testing
- A child falling behind with speech or at school because of dulled hearing
- Repeated painful middle ear infections, several in a year
- A retracted eardrum that needs the pressure relieved
When it is not the right answer
- Glue ear that has been present less than three months, which resolves on its own in most children
- A child with normal hearing on testing, whatever the eardrum looks like
- An ear in the middle of an acute infection, where it waits
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Examination with an ear microscope₦35,000
The eardrum is looked at properly, not with a handheld light.
- 2
Hearing tested
Audiometry and tympanometry. This is the test that decides whether grommets are needed at all.
- 3
Three months of watching, where that is right
Most glue ear clears on its own. A surgeon who asks you to come back in three months is following the evidence.
- 4
The operation
About ten minutes under a short general anaesthetic. Nothing is cut on the outside.
- 5
Home within a couple of hours
Children are usually back to normal the same evening.
- 6
Review and repeat hearing test₦25,000
At six weeks, to show the hearing has come back.
Recovery, realistically
Day 1
Back to normal the same evening in most children. Hearing is often noticeably better straight away.
Week 1
Slight discharge from the ear is common and settles. Drops where they are prescribed.
Months 6 to 12
The grommets work their own way out as the eardrum heals. Nothing needs doing to remove them.
Risks you should be told about
- Discharge from the ear, the commonest problem, usually treated with drops
- The grommet blocking or coming out early
- A small permanent hole in the eardrum, uncommon
- Glue ear returning after the grommets extrude, needing a second set in some children
Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.
Questions people ask
Can my child swim?
Yes, for surface swimming. Diving and ducking the head under are what to avoid. Routine ear plugs are no longer recommended for every child.
Do the grommets have to be taken out?
No. They work their own way out over six to twelve months as the eardrum heals behind them.
Will it fix the speech delay?
If the delay is from the hearing loss, hearing usually improves immediately and speech follows. Where speech is delayed for another reason, grommets will not change that, and the hearing test is what tells the two apart.
Is the anaesthetic safe for a small child?
It is short and light. The anaesthetist sees your child before the day and you will meet them.
Prices shown are Mezo cash prices in naira and were last checked on 3 October 2026. They are what you would be quoted for the standard case described here. Your final quote follows an examination, because the right operation for you may not be this one.