Modern anaesthesia is extremely safe and reliable.  Anaesthetists are highly specialised hospital doctors with at least 5 years of post-graduate training prior to becoming a Consultant.  Paediatric anaesthetists regularly anaesthetise children as part of their normal practice and have undergone at least one extra year of training in anaesthesia for children.

Prominent ears are most often the result of a loss of the fold within the ear called the antihelix and a deep conchal bowl. If noted in the neonatal period, applying splints to keep the ear in place for a few months can correct the deformity. This can be achieved by using a commercial device such as the ear buddy system or simply using steristrips. 

A tongue tie is a membrane/band of tissue that extends from the undersurface of the tongue to the floor of the mouth. It is formed as part of the normal development of the tongue. Normally the membrane disappears but in some instances it persists as a tongue tie.

Tympanoplasty is the  operation  to close a perforation of the eardrum (tympanic membrane).  It is also called a myringoplasty. A perforation of the ear drum may result from middle ear infections, grommet surgery or trauma

The adenoids are a collection of lymphoid tissue (like tonsils)   found in the nasopharynx, at the back of  the nose.  They are often enlarged in children as a result of repeated viral infection but tend to regress in size at around 8-9 years.

Although the tonsils are made of lymphoid tissue that is part of the body's defence system they can be a source of recurrent infections giving rise to sore throats with associated fever. If these are frequent and severe enough to affect a child or parent's quality of life, then removing them is a reasonable decision.

A grommet is a tube that sits across the ear drum allowing the middle ear to be ventilated. The operation is performed as a day surgery under general anaesthesia, and the whole procedure including the anaesthesia usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. The procedure is often combined with an adenoidectomy.