Pediatric ENT Recommendation - Tubes/Adenoid Advice

My son had ear tubes installed at Kaiser Oakland when he was 3 (about 5 years ago). It was relatively easy and worked well; the most traumatic part for me was when he was coming out of the anesthesia, very scary. (The nurses will prep you for this.) The doctor also wanted to take out his adenoids as part of the procedure, but we declined that, to wait and see how it went with the tubes. The ear tubes were a big success, completely ended his hearing problems, and we never went back for the adenoid removal.

We love Dr. Nadaraja at CHO. She's warm, very thorough, and her medical aides and nurses obviously like her--which makes for a welcoming visit each time. https://www.childrenshospitaloakland.org/main/find-a-doctor/nadaraja-ga…

My son, who is now 17, had his adenoids and tonsils removed at age 3.5 because his adenoids were very enlarged, this meant he was always congested which also interfered with his sleep, like apnea. The procedure was very straightforward, took place at the doctors' surgery center by Oakland Children's Hospital, recovery was swift, outcome was great. I explored alternative treatments before agreeing to the surgery, nothing helped, the surgery was the right thing to do. 
 

Go to UCSF Benioff in Mission Bay (SF) and see any of the Pediatric otolaryngologists there  - Dr Rosbe, Dr Meyer, or Dr Chan. Their PA's are excellent too. I think typically adenoids are removed at the same time as ear tubes are placed if it's a 2nd set of tubes, or there is a very strong history of recurrent AOM (Acute Otitis Media). Adenoid tissue can act as a reservoir for bacteria which "seeds" the middle ear, causing infections. Adenoidectomy alone (without tonsillectomy) is not such a big deal, in terms of recovery. And lastly, I would go to UCSF Mission Bay for the Pediatric Anesthesiologists alone... They are all excellent! 

I had my daughter's adenoids out last year, when she was 7. I was really stressed out and worried. We went to Children's Hospital and it was much easier than I thought it would be. I know it's not always like this, but for us, it was pretty simple. She didn't even have to stay overnight. We were home by the afternoon. 

Consider Bob Wesman at Oakland Children's Hospital. We took our son to Dr. Wesman on the recommendation of our pediatrician when he was 18 months old and suffering from severe, recurring ear infections. He took one look and recommended tubes. We resisted (fear of general anaesthesia, etc.). Wesman advised us to get the tubes, but was willing to accommodate us and give various non-surgical solutions a try. After another year of constantly recurring infections despite the antibiotics, we gave in and got the tubes. The procedure took less than 2 minutes. That very night, my son slept through the night without waking in pain for the first time in 18 months. A miracle. The tubes stayed in for close to a year, and by the time they came out, he had outgrown the problem. Now he is 12, happy, no hearing loss or issues. Wesman is all business, not touchy-feely, but he knows his stuff, and he and his staff did a great job.