Tonsillectomy

Alternative Names: Tonsils removal

Tonsillectomy is surgery to remove the tonsils. These glands are at the back of your throat. Often, tonsillectomy is done at the same time as adenoidectomy, surgery to remove the adenoid glands.

Description of Procedure

Your child will be given general anesthesia before surgery. They will be asleep and pain free.

• The surgeon will insert a small tool into your child's mouth to prop it open.
• The surgeon then cuts or burns away the tonsils. The doctor will control bleeding, and the cuts heal naturally without stitches.

Your child will stay in the recovery room after surgery until they are awake and can breathe easily, cough, and swallow. Most children go home several hours after this surgery.

Risks of Tonsillectomy

The risks for any anesthesia are:

• Reactions to medications
• Breathing problems

The risks for any surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Infection

Rarely, bleeding after surgery can go unnoticed and cause very bad problems. Swallowing a lot may be a sign of bleeding from the tonsils.

Another risk includes injury to the uvula (soft palate).

Throat anatomy	Tonsillectomy	Tonsillectomy - series

Review Date: 11/12/2010
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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