What is a Tonsillectomy?

Removing tonsils is a common procedure. It’s one of the most popular reasons for children to have surgery. So that many adults live today without their tonsils.

However, very few people know what involves tonsil removal surgery or what the tonsils do.

How much do you know about tonsillectomy procedures? This information will help you make an informed decision before agreeing to have your child’s or your own tonsils removed.

What Is a Tonsillectomy?

Before going to any tonsillectomy it is very important for everyone to understand what is tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy? Tonsillectomy is a tonsil removal surgery. Tonsillectomy is a very long and very painful
procedure.

Your tonsils are patches of soft tissue in your throat that play an important role in maintaining your immune health. They’re located at the back of your throat where they act like gatekeepers that protect your body from invading pathogens that enter your mouth.

A tonsillectomy is a procedure that surgically removes your tonsils. The first suggested instances of surgical tonsil removal dates back to ancient Hindu writings, some 3,000 years ago. Roman doctors, in the first century B.C.E., performed the first documented tonsillectomies.

As the centuries passed, tonsil surgery went in and out of fashion in the medical community. By the mid 20th century, in the United States, the considered gold standard for treating and preventing a variety of conditions such as halitosis, ear aches, and chronic throat infections was tonsillectomy. So much that medical professionals around the globe quickly adopted this view.

Removing the tonsils was the cure-all for upper respiratory tract ailments in children in the 1950’s and 1960’s. According to one study, 120 out of every 10,000 children in the United States in 1967 had their tonsils removed.

However, tonsillectomies have come in and out of fashion over the years. By 1998, only 65 out of 10,000 children were having tonsillectomies. The medical community is still hotly debating the benefits of tonsillectomy. So much that it is not as widely recommended as it used to be.

Why Some People Get Their Tonsils Removed

Doctors have a more balanced view towards tonsillectomies now than they did in the past due to an enhanced understanding of the role of tonsils in immune health. Why remove tonsils, then?

Generally, patients remove their tonsils only if:

• They obstruct the flow of oxygen through the throat
• They experience multiple infections over a short period of time

Other rare conditions that may necessitate tonsil removal include things like bleeding tonsils, abscesses or cancerous growths. Nonetheless, in cases where an infection does not respond to traditional antibiotic therapy, a tonsillectomy may be indicated.

How Tonsils Are Removed

Surgeons today perform modern tonsillectomy procedures using four main methods:

• Carbon dioxide laser
• Electrocautery
• Scalpel
• Harmonic scalpel (uses ultrasonic vibrations to break apart tissue)

You won’t need to worry about pain during a tonsillectomy, as you’ll be fully anesthetized. This means that you won’t have any sensation and you’ll be unconscious. The procedure, however, is over very quickly. It’s an outpatient surgery which means that, generally, you can go home the very day you have your tonsils taken out.

Recovering from a Tonsillectomy

Recovering from a tonsillectomy is, unfortunately, a painful and lengthy process. Therefore, it can take up to two weeks to fully heal and the pain tends.

Your physician can recommend medication to help you manage the pain, but recovering from tonsil surgery is still extremely uncomfortable. Hence, you’ll have to get plenty of bedrest and stay on a liquid and soft foods diet for a week or more. Solid foods can damage the surgical site and cause an infection or delay healing.

Moreover, depending on which foods you can consume and how long your recovery period lasts, you may end up losing an unhealthy amount of weight after tonsil surgery.

Complications of a Tonsillectomy

There are several serious complications associated with tonsillectomy.

Cost of tonsil removal surgery, how long is tonsil removal surgery and how painful tonsil removal is.

Which can be particularly dangerous for pediatric patients. Tonsillectomy complications and risks include:

• Pain
• Nausea, vomiting, and other reactions to anesthesia
• Difficulty eating or refusal to eat
• Infection
• Swelling in the throat that can block the airway
• Bleeding

An increasing number of medical professionals and academics support alternative therapies to tonsillectomy. Because of the serious risks associated with the procedure.

Is there any way, then, for you to avoid getting your tonsils removed?

How to Avoid the Need for a Tonsillectomy

Despite the popular belief that a tonsillectomy is a normal part of growing up. Taking your tonsils out is not normal. You only need to have your tonsils removed if they are causing problems.

If you do experience tonsil problems or a sore throat. Seeing your doctor as soon as possible to treat the problem can help you avoid complications. If he gives you a course of antibiotics to fight an infection, finish them without stopping prematurely.

Keeping your tonsils and oral cavity clean can also keep your tonsils healthy and reduce the possibility of needing a tonsillectomy.

Unnecessary tonsillectomies can result in pain, infection and lost time away from school or work. Additionally, your tonsils are your mouth’s first line of defense against infectious pathogens. It’s much better to take a proactive approach to maintaining tonsil health by cleaning your tonsils regularly.