Pediatric ENT Surgeon in Dubai | Dr. Muhammad Jabbr

Your child's doctor has mentioned an operation, and now you have a dozen questions. Will it hurt? Will my child be scared? If you are searching for a pediatric ENT surgeon in Dubai, this guide takes you from getting ready at home to the first day back at school.

Dr. Muhammad Jabbr operates on children's ears, noses and throats at the ENT Department, Medcare Hospital, Al Safa. He is a Consultant ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon with over 20 years in practice. For many parents, he is one of the best surgeons in Dubai for children's ENT operations.

Which ENT operations do children usually need?

Many children's ENT problems settle with time or medicines. When surgery is advised, it is usually one of three short procedures.

Tonsillectomy (removing the tonsils)

This may be suggested for a child with many throat infections a year, or large tonsils that block breathing at night. See our tonsillectomy for children page.

Adenoidectomy (removing the adenoids)

The adenoids are a pad of tissue high up behind the nose, where you cannot see them. Large adenoids can cause mouth breathing, snoring or repeated ear trouble. Our adenoidectomy page explains more.

Grommets (ear tubes)

Grommets are very small tubes that the surgeon sets into the eardrum. Air can then reach the middle ear, trapped fluid can clear, and hearing often gets better. They are usually considered for glue ear that has not cleared after several months, or very frequent ear infections. Read our grommets and ear tubes page.

Two of these are sometimes done in the same session, so your child has only one anaesthetic.

How do I prepare my child emotionally?

Children cope better when they know what is coming, in words that suit their age.

Toddlers (2 to 3 years): Tell them a day or two before. Keep it simple: "You will have a special sleep, and we will be there when you wake up."
Young children (4 to 7 years): Tell them a few days to a week before. Play "hospital" with a teddy.
Older children and teens: Be honest about pain and recovery. Let them ask the surgeon questions themselves.

Say "sleepy medicine" rather than "put to sleep", which can sound frightening. Do not promise "it won't hurt at all". Instead say, "Your throat may be sore, and we will have medicine to help."

Your own calm matters too. Share your worries with the team before the day, not in front of your child.

What should I do in the days before surgery?

Tell the team about any illness. A cough, cold, fever or chest infection in the two weeks before surgery may mean the date needs to move.
Share the full medical history. Mention allergies, asthma, bleeding problems in the family, past reactions to anaesthesia and all regular medicines.
Follow the fasting rules exactly. The hospital will tell you when your child must stop food, milk and clear drinks.
Pack a small bag. Bring a favourite toy, loose clothes and a tablet with headphones.
Plan ahead. Arrange time off, and buy the pain medicines you are advised to use.

Is general anaesthesia safe for my child?

For healthy children, modern general anaesthesia is very safe, although no anaesthetic is completely free of risk. A specialist anaesthetist gives it and watches your child closely from start to finish. You will meet them beforehand and can ask anything.

What usually happens:

Young children often go to sleep breathing a gas through a soft mask. Older children may have a small cannula placed in the hand, often after a numbing cream.
In many cases, one parent may stay until the child falls asleep.
Your child wakes up in the recovery area, and you are called to join them as soon as possible.

Some children wake up upset, confused or crying. This is common and usually settles quickly.

Day-case surgery: what does the day look like?

Most children's ENT operations are day-case surgery. Your child comes in, has the operation and goes home the same day, once they are awake, drinking and comfortable.

Some children stay one night as a precaution. This is more common if a child is very young, has severe sleep apnoea or another health problem, or is having certain tonsil operations. It does not mean anything has gone wrong.

Before you leave, note which pain medicines to give, how often, and who to call.

Pain relief at home: what to expect after each operation

How much pain your child has depends on the operation:

Grommets: usually little or no pain. Most children feel fine by the evening.
Adenoidectomy: a mildly sore throat and a blocked nose for a few days.
Tonsillectomy: the most painful of the three. Soreness often gets worse around days 3 to 7 before it improves. Earache is common too. It usually comes from the throat, through shared nerves, not from the ear itself.

Simple rules help:

Give pain medicine regularly, by the clock, as advised. Do not wait for your child to complain.
Use only the medicines and doses you were given. Never give aspirin to children.
Give a dose about 30 minutes before meals, so eating is easier.
Keep fluids going. Drinking well helps healing and can ease pain.
Usual foods are fine. Cold, soft foods such as yoghurt or ice cream may feel easier at first.

When can my child go back to school?

Every child heals at their own pace. Typical guides:

Grommets: often back at school or nursery in 1 to 2 days.
Adenoidectomy: usually within about a week.
Tonsillectomy: usually around 2 weeks at home, away from crowds and sick children, to lower the risk of infection.

Hold off on sport, swimming and rough play until your surgeon says it is fine. After grommets, ask about keeping water out of the ears. After tonsil surgery, stay close to a hospital for about two weeks and avoid travel. A follow-up visit is usually booked a few weeks later to check healing and, after grommets, hearing.

Which signs after surgery need urgent help?

Get emergency care immediately if your child has:

Any fresh red blood from the mouth or nose, or spits or vomits blood. This matters most after tonsil surgery, and even a small amount needs checking. The riskiest times are the first day and roughly days 5 to 10.
Trouble breathing, noisy breathing that is getting worse, or blue lips.
Unusual drowsiness, or is hard to wake.

Contact your surgeon's team that day if your child:

Refuses to drink, or passes much less urine than usual.
Has a fever above 38.5°C that stays high despite medicine.
Keeps vomiting.
Is still in a lot of pain even with the prescribed medicines.
Has ear discharge for more than a few days after grommets.

For other urgent problems, such as a swallowed object or a sudden ear injury, see our guide to ENT emergencies in children.

What should you look for in a pediatric ENT surgeon in Dubai?

Look for surgical skill, but also for a surgeon who explains clearly, listens to parents and will say "let's wait" when surgery is not needed yet. Dr. Muhammad Jabbr offers:

Training: he holds an MD and MS, the DOHNS (England), and both the European Board and the Arab Board in ORL-HNS.
Experience: more than 3,000 ENT procedures over his career.
Care for the whole family: he treats adults as well as children.
Time for questions: ask when surgery may help, when waiting is reasonable, and what recovery will look like.

Read about his wider surgical work on our ENT surgeon in Dubai page, or browse all children's services in our pediatric ENT in Dubai section.

Book an appointment

Has your child been advised to have an ear, nose or throat operation? Or would you like a second opinion first? Dr. Muhammad Jabbr sees children at the ENT Department, Medcare Hospital, Al Safa (Hadiqa Street, Al Safa 1, Dubai).

Book your child's consultation online or phone +971 52 751 7811.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should we plan the operation for the school holidays?

Many families prefer the holidays, especially for tonsil surgery, which needs about two weeks at home. But if the operation is for night-time breathing problems or hearing loss, it is usually better not to delay.

What if my child gets a cold just before the operation?

Call the team as soon as you can. A mild runny nose may be fine, but a fever, cough or chest infection often means the surgery is safer a few weeks later.

Will my child remember the operation?

Usually very little. Most children remember falling asleep and then waking up, with nothing in between. Talking about it calmly afterwards helps them make sense of the day.

Is it normal for my child to be clingy or grumpy afterwards?

Yes. Many children are tearful, clingy or sleep poorly for a few days. Extra cuddles, a quiet routine and good pain relief help, and it settles as they recover.

Will my child need antibiotics after the operation?

Usually not. Antibiotics are not routinely needed after tonsil or adenoid surgery. After grommets, some children are given ear drops for a few days. Only use the medicines your surgeon prescribes.

Helping your child through surgery

Children's ENT operations are common and short, and for most children they lead to better sleep, hearing and health. Honest words, regular pain relief and knowing the warning signs will carry your child through.

A calm talk with an experienced pediatric ENT surgeon in Dubai can turn worry into a clear plan.