What is Involved in Tonsil Removal Surgery?

Once a rite of passage of passage for children in the 1950s and 1960s, tonsil removal surgery, or a tonsillectomy, has decreased significantly over the decades but is still one of the most common surgeries performed on U.S. children and adults. Besides helping to reduce chronic sore throats in children, a tonsillectomy can be helpful in eliminating many bothersome conditions in adults as well.

What Are Tonsils?

Tonsils are oval-shaped layers of tissue located on the back of the upper throat. Tonsils serve as the immune system’s first weapon against viruses and bacteria that enter the body through the mouth and nose. By fighting these invaders with white blood cells, tonsils attempt to kill germs before they cause illness. However, tonsils often lose the fight and become inflamed and infected, causing pain and fever. If you suffer from tonsil infections on a regular basis, you and your doctor may decide that tonsil removal surgery is the best course of action to eliminate this painful condition.

Why You Might Benefit from a Tonsillectomy

While children mainly have tonsil removal surgery to eliminate tonsillitis (infected tonsils) from recurring bouts of strep throat, adults who undergo the procedure can get relief from many different bothersome conditions. These include:

• Frequent bouts of acute tonsillitis
• Tonsillitis that recurs immediately after taking a course of antibiotics
• Adenoiditis (a similar condition to tonsillitis that occurs in the adenoids)
• Tonsil abscesses (pockets of pus behind the tonsils)
• Tonsil stones (hardened masses of dead cells that collect in the tonsils and cause pain)
• Breathing problems caused by enlarged tonsils (difficulty in breathing and swallowing or sleep apnea)

If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms on a regular basis, make an appointment with your ENT to see if tonsil removal surgery is the best treatment option for you.

What Can You Expect During a Tonsillectomy?

If you undergo tonsil removal surgery, your procedure will take place in a hospital or outpatient surgery center. You’ll likely go home on the same day of the procedure. A typical tonsillectomy involves the following:

• You’ll be under general anesthesia so that you’re completely unaware and pain-free during the procedure
• Your doctor will remove the tonsils with a scalpel or use a newer technique such as radio frequency energy

After surgery, you’ll take medication to reduce pain and swelling in the throat. While children usually recover from the procedure in a week, an adult will likely take an additional week to completely recover from the surgery. As with any surgical recovery period, doctors advise you get adequate rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take all of your prescribed medications to help the healing process.

Why Choose Lakeside ENT for Tonsil Removal Surgery?

Don’t suffer from recurring sore throats, sleep apnea, or other tonsil-related conditions a minute longer. At Lakeside ENT, we have three board-certified otolaryngologists on staff that specialize in performing tonsillectomies in addition to diagnosing and treating all disorders of the ears, nose, and throat. If you or your child is suffering from repeated bouts of tonsillitis or you believe you might have another condition caused by your tonsils, call us at 972-771-5443 for an appointment or submit a request for an appointment by filling out the form on this page.