Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 11/24/2009
Tonsils are removed when a person, most often a child, has any of the following conditions:
- obstruction
- sleep apnea (a condition in which an individual snores loudly and stops breathing temporarily at intervals during sleep)
- inability to swallow properly because of enlarged tonsils
- a breathy voice or other speech abnormality due to enlarged tonsils
- recurrent or persistent abscesses or throat infections
Physicians are not in complete agreement on the number of sore throats that necessitate a tonsillectomy. Most would agree that four cases of strep throat in any one year; six or more episodes of tonsillitis in one year; or five or more episodes of tonsillitis per year for two years indicate that the tonsils should be removed.
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Mostly everyone has heard of tonsillectomy, that is, a surgery to remove the tonsils; but the location of the tonsils is often no more clear than "somewhere in the throat." This narrated animation shows where the tonsils are located and gives an approximation of what they look like when they are inflamed and headed for tonsillectomy.
Tonsils are removed through the mouth (A). The surgeon uses a scissors to cut away the tonsils, and a forceps to pull them away (B). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
Other Information
A tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure in which the tonsils are removed. Sometimes the adenoids are removed at the same time.
Other Information
In 2000, children's risk of surgery increased from 17.9% in 1981 to 20.2% in 1998/99, while ENT surgery rates increased by 21% over the period.
From: NCBI
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