FDA approves first system for insertion of ear tubes with local anesthesia

Editor's Note

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on November 25 approved a new system for the delivery of tympanostomy tubes into the eardrums of young children without using general anesthesia.

The Tubes Under Local Anesthesia (Tula) System (Tusker Medical, Menlo Park, California) is the first ear tube delivery system that can be performed using local anesthesia in a physician’s office.

The Tula System uses a small electrical current to deliver a local anesthetic into the ear drum before tube insertion. It is approved for adults and children as young as 6 months of age.