Tonsillectomy for Recurrent Throat Infection – Is it a good decision?

In general, people are not aware of what does an ENT specialist do? They plan a visit to General Physician even when they are feeling discomfort in the ear, nose, or throat. During their consultation with the GP, they find out that problems in ear, nose, and throat will be managed by an ENT specialist.

A study was conducted to analyze the reasons for such visits on a population basis. Based on the data which indicated the frequency of unexpected visits and follow-up visits after tonsillectomy in children, it became evident that aftercare is equally important.

Before we dive into more details about tonsillectomy or if it’s a good decision or not? Let me tell you this if the throat infections become recurrent or impose severe pain and discomfort, high-quality advanced & modern daycare surgical treatment from an expert ENT doctor is the best solution.

Read Also: Swollen lymph nodes in the neck

Tonsils causing throat infections! No more.

Yes, tonsillectomy helps patients recover faster and is capable of ensuring that a patient doesn’t get any throat infection & enjoys excellent breathing.

Since it is a surgical treatment, it involves a couple of follow-up visits and aftercare for 5-7 days. Some investigators used data to describe revisits after tonsillectomy, which also included the timing of this visit. The data helped estimate revisit rates in the month after surgery and to perform analyses to identify factors associated with repeat visits.

Most patients are between the age of 0-24 years and had undergone tonsillectomy. The main reason for revisits was bleeding within 30 days after the daycare procedure. The analysis concluded that most affected groups are kids 5-year of age.

Multivariable analyses included race/ethnicity, several chronic conditions, type of procedure initially performed, and type of surgical facility. Although the sex distribution was even overall, younger patients with tonsillectomy tended to be female; males predominated among the older age groups.

One fact to know is that recurrent or severe tonsillitis has been defined as follows: seven or more sore throat episodes in the preceding year, five or more episodes in the each of the preceding 2 years, or three or more episodes in each of the preceding 3 years, but diagnosis remains unclear.

• Over seven episodes of tonsillitis in one year
• Over four to five occurrences a year in each of the previous two years
• Over three occurrences a year in each of the previous three years

Indications for an advanced surgical treatment!

Otolaryngology textbooks or an ENT specialist may list a variety of indications for tonsillectomy. We collected a lot of data and categorized the symptoms or indicators below:

• Enlarged or swollen tonsils that cause upper airway obstruction, sleep disorders, severe dysphagia, or cardiopulmonary complications
• A peritonsillar abscess that is not responding to medical management by the ENT surgeon, unless surgery is performed in the acute stage
  Tonsillitis leading to febrile convulsions
• Tonsils needing a biopsy to determine tissue pathology
• Three or over three tonsil infections in 1 year
• Persistent foul taste or breath due to chronic tonsillitis
• Chronic or recurrent tonsillitis which is unresponsive to antibiotics

More is better! Tonsillectomy to cure infections and then some!

Based on a lot of reviews, thousands of children found relief after a simple pediatric procedure of tonsillectomy, it reduced recurrent throat infections and also, a few patients mentioned that it also suppressed obstructive sleep-disordered but not for long-term.

Though quality-of-life scores improved after the surgery, doctors caution that much of the data lacked strength, information on longer-term outcomes is still limited. Moreover, not every patient of tonsilitis can get advanced surgical treatment.

Am I a candidate for a tonsillectomy?

Surgery to remove your tonsils is recommended for very severe or frequent cases of tonsillitis. A tonsillectomy is typically an outpatient procedure, which means you’ll be able to go home the same day.

The advanced surgical procedure is performed on an outpatient basis the same way in children and adults, but the recovery may take longer if you’re older. Kids typically heal faster, which means they may only need about 2-3 days to recover and a week for complete recovery, while adults might need a week or two before returning to work.

Children experience fewer complications than adults such as bleeding or severe pain after the procedure. If you are experiencing chronic or recurrent sore throats involving your tonsils, make an appointment with the best ENT specialist or ask your GP about an ENT doctor. The benefits and risks of having tonsil surgery or further doubts cab only be cleared by an expert doctor. In rare cases, your tonsils can grow back after surgery but this should never stop you from getting treatment for existing problem.

Final Outcome

We will always suggest you consult with your doctor about the procedure and your candidature for the same. The treatment is highly-precise, performed using best-in-class and cutting edge technological healthcare devices. It has quite a high success rate, it is the reason for the prevalence of the same procedure. Over 75% of the procedures were tonsillectomy with adenoidectomy, and the remainder were tonsillectomy alone.