Tonsil removal surgery (tonsillectomy)

Tonsillectomy is a very common operation performed mainly on children under 10 years of age, although it is also often performed on adolescent patients and even adults for different reasons. The surgery consists of the removal of these glands to prevent their size, whether natural or due to chronic inflammation, from causing a deterioration in the patient's quality of life.

Throughout this page you will find all the information about tonsillectomy, but first we explain what tonsils are and why they cause so many problems.

The tonsils are an accumulation of lymphatic tissue located on both sides of the back of the throat, and their main function is to fight infections, especially during childhood, which is why tonsil removal surgery is more common in this age group than in adults, although tonsillectomy is also possible in adults.

Due to the function of the tonsils, there is a possibility that they may overdo their job and fight infections excessively, causing what is known as chronic tonsillitis, which is one of the main reasons why tonsillectomy is performed.

However, in addition to this reason, there are other reasons why the decision to have a tonsillectomy may be made to improve the quality and day-to-day life of the patient. 

Why are tonsils removed?

The reasons for tonsillectomy are diverse, although they are all focused on alleviating the discomfort caused to the patient, mainly children, due to problems affecting the tonsils.

Although at first, especially in the early stages of life, the function of the tonsils is to help the body fight infections, there are cases in which they overdo their job and remain inflamed for a long time or on a very regular basis. It is at these times that they are removed.

The cases in which a patient is a candidate for tonsillectomy are:

• Chronic tonsillitis: when treatment of recurrent tonsillitis is not effective with medication or other measures, the only option to avoid this problem is surgery.
• Frequent infections: the patient, probably your child if you are reading this, has infections on a regular basis. This can be around 7 or more times a year or in two years, which is why the patient misses a lot of school or work.
• Sleep apnoea and obstructive breathing problems: inflammation of the tonsils and adenoids is one of the main causes of sleep apnoea, so the doctor may recommend removal of the tonsils.
• Tonsil cancer: for the treatment of this type of problem, associated with people over the age of 50 who smoke, removal of the tonsils is also required.
• Chronic halitosis: in the case of suffering from halitosis on a regular basis and this is not solved with the usual measures, it is possible that the patient suffers from problems in the tonsils and may require surgery to solve them.

However, as we mentioned, the main reason for surgery is that the tonsils cause sore throats and infections on a very frequent basis.

In order to carry out the surgery, the first thing to do is to request a free surgical assessment consultation with our ENT specialist in your city, to get to know you, review your case, confirm that the intervention is necessary and resolve any doubts you may have.

To request a consultation, you can do so through the website, by clicking on Request appointment, by contacting our patient service team through the contact form or by calling directly to +34 91 141 33 56, we will be delighted to help you.

Do you need surgery to remove tonsils?

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Once you have made an appointment, our team will confirm that the date and time is right for you. If you have any questions about the process, our team will try to help you in any way we can, please do not hesitate to contact us. After confirmation, all you have to do is come to the consultation on the appointed day.

The Specialist will review the evidence you provide, ask you a series of questions about the tonsil problem, such as how often it occurs, if it has already been diagnosed, etc. In addition to carrying out a physical examination of your throat.

He or she will then explain what the operation consists of and will try to answer any questions you may have. It is important to ask your doctor these questions so that you can make an informed and correct decision.

At the same consultation, you can decide whether or not to have the operation, setting a date for your admission there and then. The doctor will explain how to proceed.

After the consultation, probably the next day, our patient care team will contact you to see how the visit went, the care you received and whether you have decided to have surgery with us. If so, they will explain all the steps to follow and will help you manage the whole process, starting with the preoperative period.

On the day set for the surgery and after having arranged with our Patient Care Team everything related to payments and resolution of doubts or questions, you will go to the hospital indicated a little before the intervention. There you will be asked to hand in the necessary documentation (don't worry, your personal patient care advisor will have explained it to you beforehand) and then go to a waiting room where you will wait briefly until you are called for surgery.

Before entering the operating theatre, you will pass through a pre-op room where you will be asked to dress in surgical clothes and a line will be placed in your arm through which the anaesthetic will be administered.

Once in the operating theatre, you will meet the anaesthetist, who will monitor the patient's vital signs throughout the surgery, the specialist with whom you had your consultation and a member of the nursing team who will assist you during the operation.

Once you have been placed on the stretcher in the position indicated by the doctor and the anaesthesia has taken effect, the tonsillectomy will begin:

1. The doctor will first place a tool in the patient's mouth to keep it open during the operation.
2. He then locates the tonsils and removes them with a scalpel, cauterising and closing the blood vessels with a tool called diathermy, which will allow faster natural healing without the need for sutures.
3. Once this process has been completed, which as you can see is very quick, the patient will be awakened.

Tonsillectomy lasts around 20 minutes and is a very common and simple surgery in the hands of an experienced otorhinolaryngologist.

After waking up from the anaesthesia, the patient will be taken to a room where they can recover from the anaesthesia and stay in hospital for only a few hours before going home the same day on their own.

As we mentioned, the postoperative period is very simple. The hospital stay is minimal, a couple of hours, and you can leave the hospital as soon as you are breathing, coughing and swallowing easily.

On the other hand, as far as recovery is concerned, we will briefly comment on the points that usually raise the most questions:

• Total recovery is usually between 10 and 14 days after surgery, at which time it usually heals completely.
• As for what you can eat, it is important to hydrate yourself well with any liquid (water, soft drinks, juices, etc.), avoiding alcohol and tobacco. You can eat cold food, such as ice cream or gelatine, and avoid foods that require a lot of chewing or can tear the throat, such as toast or chips.
• Pain after surgery is common after tonsillectomy, especially in the jaw, neck, tongue, throat and ears. There is no need to worry, this discomfort can last up to 2 weeks in adults and about 5 days in children up to 5 years of age. Talk to your ENT specialist so that he or she can prescribe painkillers to help you cope with the discomfort.
• After the operation, a whitish-yellowish layer will form in the back of the throat. DO NOT WORRY, this is how the pharyngeal mucosa heals. During this time, it is also common for the uvula to be swollen, so don't worry.
• If there is bleeding, do not worry, it is not serious. Rinse with cold water for a few minutes and if the bleeding continues, expel it and contact your Specialist. This bleeding does not usually appear more than 10 days after the operation and occurs in very few cases.

Beyond the risks associated with any surgery such as infection, bleeding and problems with anaesthesia, which are minimal in general and in this intervention in particular, there are risks such as bleeding, which we mentioned previously, or damage to teeth, palate or areas close to the tonsils. All of these are uncommon thanks to the expertise and habit of the specialists.

On the other hand, it is possible that after the operation you may notice changes in your taste or voice. This is common and temporary, and permanent changes are very rare.

As far as the advantages are concerned, they are basically the reason why the intervention is carried out, to avoid infections such as chronic tonsillitis, respiratory problems, etc.

Do you need surgery to remove tonsils?

Request a free and immediate appointment with our specialists in Otorhinolaryngology

Make an appointment