The invention is a tympanic membrane pressure equalization tube (100). The tube has a distal end and a proximal end and a tube lumen (106). A medial flange (102) is located at the distal end of the tube and has 2 or more retention elements (108a 108b and 108c) and a space between each retention element. A lateral flange (104) is located at the proximal end of the tube. The outside diameter of the medial flange is greater than the outside diameter of the lateral flange and the diameter of the medial flange is between about 2.0 and 5.0 mm and the diameter of the lateral flange is between about 1.75 mm and 4.0 mm.
