Mr Nigam ENT Treatments - Tonsillectomy
What are tonsils?
The tonsils are 2 masses of tissue located in the back of the mouth, one on either side. The tonsils are part of our immune system. Our immune system helps us fight germs that cause illness. You can think of the tonsils as germ processing centres. They help our bodies learn to recognize different kinds of germs so that we can fight them better.
Will my child's immune system be weaker if the tonsils are removed?
The tonsils are only a very small part of our immune system. It turns out that our immune system has many different ways of learning to recognize germs. Children who have their tonsils removed do not, on average, have any more illnesses than children who "keep" their tonsils. In fact, some children will get fewer illnesses, like strep throat, after their tonsils are taken out.
Why do some children need to have their tonsils removed?
Today, the most common reason that children have their tonsils removed is to help them breathe and sleep better. In some children, the tonsils become too big. This may happen for a variety of reasons, but we usually don't know why it happens to a particular child. If the tonsils become too large they can partially block a child's breathing during sleep. This causes a child's sleep to be very restless or fragmented resulting in poor concentration during the daytime, behaviour changes, and sometime persistent bedwetting. This is known as "sleep apnea". Removing the tonsils (along with the adenoid) makes this breathing much better and in the majority of children solves the problem completely.
Another common reason that children have their tonsils removed is because of frequent throat infections involving the tonsils (tonsillitis). Although removing the tonsils will not prevent the common cold or even every sore throat, it will stop a child from getting tonsillitis again.
Treatment
Removal of the tonsils (tonsillectomy) is a surgical procedure. It is performed by an ears, nose, and throat surgeon in the operating room under general anaesthesia. In this day and age, general anaesthesia is very safe and your child will be carefully monitored during the procedure. The tonsils are removed through the mouth and there are no visible scars following surgery.
The most common kind of tonsillectomy (the conventional tonsillectomy) involves the complete removal of both tonsils. This can be done with a variety of instruments, but we prefer a device that uses radiofrequency to remove the tonsils with minimal bleeding. The greatest benefit of a coblation tonsillectomy is that there is usually much less pain and discomfort when compared to a conventional tonsillectomy.
The procedure itself usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. Your doctor will talk to you as soon as the surgery is over.
Your child will wake up in the recovery room after surgery. This may take 45 minutes to an hour. When your child is awake, he or she will be taken to the Short Stay post operative area to complete the recovery. You can be with your child once he or she has been transferred to this area.
Children usually go home the same day after surgery, but in some cases your doctor may recommend keeping your child in the hospital overnight (e.g., your child is under age 4). An upset stomach and vomiting (throwing up) are common for the first 24 hours after surgery.
Your child’s throat may be a bit sore for quite a while after surgery. The sore throat can makes it difficult and painful to swallow. However, it is very important that your child drink plenty of fluids after surgery. Your child will be given prescription pain medicine for the sore throat but it will still take lots of encouragement to keep him or her drinking at home.
Your child may complain of an earache in one or both ears. This does not mean your child has an ear infection. The ear pain is actually caused by the throat surgery and goes away when the sore throat gets better.
Prevent your child from coming into contact with other people who have colds, flu, or infections.
Most children will be out of school or day care for 7 to 10 days after surgery. Your child should not participate in vigorous physical activity (such as gym class) for 2 weeks after surgery.
If your child coughs up, throws up, or spits out bright red blood or blood clots you should contact the Hospital immediately. Although rare, this type of bleeding can occur up to 2 weeks after surgery.