Tonsillectomy
Tonsillectomy is the procedure performed to remove your tonsils, which are present in the rear of your throat. Although your body’s immune system depends on your tonsils, getting rid of them won’t make you more susceptible to illness.
Why are tonsils removed?
A tonsillectomy is performed for a variety of reasons. The two most frequent situations are when:
- Your tonsils are making it harder for you to breathe when you’re asleep. This is frequently mistaken for snoring.
- You frequently have throat infections (6 or more times per year), along with inflamed and enlarged tonsils (tonsillitis).
- Even though it might appear like children only need to have their tonsils, adults may also benefit from this procedure.
How is it performed?
There are numerous procedures to do a tonsillectomy. You’ll be put to sleep during the procedure under general anesthetic. Typically, the procedure lasts 20 to 30 minutes. You won’t experience any discomfort as the doctor removes your tonsils. Although a partial tonsillectomy may be advantageous for some people, the tonsils are often entirely removed.
The surgical procedure that works best for the specific patient will be used. The most popular techniques for removing tonsils include:
- Electrocautery: The tonsils are removed using electrocautery, which also stops any bleeding while using heat to do so.
- Scalpel removal for cold knife (steel) dissection: The tonsils are taken out. After that, bleeding is halted using stitches or electrocautery (extreme heat).
- Harmonic scalpel: This technique simultaneously cuts and stops bleeding from the tonsils using ultrasonic vibrations.
- A carbon dioxide laser, microdebrider, and/or radiofrequency ablation techniques are further techniques.
How much time does it take to recover?
Each person’s recovery from a tonsillectomy may vary:
- Pain is typical and could worsen three to four days after surgery. This pain can persist up to two weeks and is frequently worse in the morning. To treat your pain, your doctor will create a drug regimen.
- Where the tonsils were removed, there can be some discoloration. The discolouration will vanish within 3 to 4 weeks, after the area has fully recovered.
- Following a tonsillectomy, you should expect to spend at least a week recovering at home and restrict your activities for two weeks.
- After a tonsillectomy, bleeding is a possibility. In The Next ten days, the risk goes down.
Dietary Precautions
Making sure you drink enough fluids after a tonsillectomy is essential for recovery. For about a week, soft or chilled foods are usually the easiest, but you can add things to your diet as long as you can tolerate them. Still, you should stay away from dishes with a lot of heat.
