When Is a Tonsillectomy Necessary?
In the past, a tonsillectomy was performed almost routinely, sometimes in a doctor’s office. This resulted in a concern in the medical community that too many tonsillectomies were being performed unnecessarily. Today there are guidelines for performing a tonsillectomy that should be met before surgery is performed. Even with the current guidelines, a tonsillectomy is a very common procedure with over 700,000 performed annually in the United States.
While tonsillitis does make your throat hurt, a sore throat isn’t necessarily tonsillitis. With tonsillitis at least one of the palantine tonsils are swollen and infected. The adenoids, a different set of tonsils, can also become infected and painful and may be removed with the palantine tonsils if necessary.
Reasons for Tonsillectomy
- Chronic bleeding- from one or both tonsils
- Chronic tonsillitis-Defined as 5 or more bouts of tonsillitis in the course of a year OR 3 episodes per year for two years in a row OR tonsillitis does not respond to antibiotic therapy.
- Cryptic Tonsils or Tonsilliths-Tonsils that collect particles, which harden and become stone like lumps
- Abscess of the tonsil-A collection of pus within the tonsil
- Chronic Bad Breath- Caused by the infection in the tonsils
- Kissing Tonsils-Tonsils so enlarged that they touch in the middle of the mouth/throat
- Suspicion of Cancer
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea–Large tonsils can narrow the airway, making sleep apnea worse.
Reasons for an Adenoidectomy
- Repeated infection of the adenoids
- Adenoid infections that cause ear infections or hearing problems
- Adenoid infections that do not respond to antibiotics
Sources:
Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy Reference Summary. National Institutes of Health http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/tonsillectomyadenoidectomy/ol049102.pdf
