Tonsillectomy, Is it dangerous?

by dr.Ay

According to emedicine medical articles, Tonsillectomy is defined as the surgical excision of the palatine tonsils, but sometimes the adenoids are also removed at the same time. There are some indications that this prosedures is need to be performed, some of them are:

• Experiences frequent bouts of acute tonsillitis. The number requiring tonsillectomy varies with the severity of the episodes. One case, even severe, is generally not enough for most surgeons to decide tonsillectomy is necessary.
• Has chronic tonsillitis, consisting of persistent, moderate-to-severe throat pain.
• Has multiple bouts of peritonsillar abscess.
• Has sleep apnea (stopping or obstructing breathing at night due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids)
• Has difficulty eating or swallowing due to enlarged tonsils (very unusual reason for tonsillectomy)
• Produces tonsilloliths in the back of their mouth.
• Has abnormally large tonsils with crypts (Craters or impacts in the tonsils)

For details informations, you can discuss it with your personal ear, nose, and throat doctor because there also called absolute and relative indication for this surgery. Some of you would be asking about the complication that could be happened.

Well, tonsillectomy is commonly performed and generally safe. However, in order to make an informed decision and give your consent, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the risk of complications of this procedure.

1. During the operation

The possible complications of any operation include an unexpected reaction to the anaesthetic, excessive bleeding or infection. Antibiotics are usually prescribed to help prevent infection.

Specific complications of tonsillectomy are rare but include:

• bleeding within 24 hours - your child may need to go back into theatre to have it stopped
• bleeding four to seven days after the operation (secondary haemorrhage) - this can be the result of an infection
• damage to the teeth or jaw - this can be caused by the instruments used to keep the mouth open during surgery
• chest infection and breathing problems - there's a risk blood and tissue from the operation may get into the throat and down into the lungs

The exact risks are specific to your child and differ for every person, so we have not included statistics here. Ask your surgeon to explain how these risks apply to your child.

2. After the operation

Mostly and logically, you will feel pain (sore throat). In children, sore throat makes them don’t want to eat and drinks which will lead to dehydration and weight loss, so make sure that your children have a good intake. Once home, follow the surgeon's advice about pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Do not give aspirin to children under 16. The pain will abate during the first 3-5 days then increase for 1-2 days before completely disappearing. The post-tonsillectomy patients should also avoid smoking, heavy lifting and exertion for 10 days. Some oral antibiotics are usually used as a profilaxis. Please contact your GP or the hospital immediately if there is:

• bleeding in the nose or throat
• an inability to drink normally, as this can lead to dehydration
• a high temperature
• increasing pain

You can expect a full and quick recovery once the initial pain has resolved. Complete recovery can take two weeks. For any questions, we can discuss it in my GuestBook. Thank you

Sources:

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/tonsillectomy.html

http://www.emedicine.com/ent/topic315.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillectomy