The Tonsil surgery is required when a significant number of tonsillitis are suffered or when the tonsils obstruct the airways. In these cases the operation is complete (tonsillectomy is required) or parcial removal (tonsillotomy / tonsilloplasty- tonsil reduction) depending on the type of the pathology and are done under general anesthesia. It can be done with different instruments such as laser, the radiofrequency or plasma coagulation to facilitate the surgical procedure and patient recovery.
Current indications tonsil surgery are:
- Excessive size of the tonsils
- Recurrent infections (4 in 6 months the 6 in a year)
- Peritonsillar abscess (accumulation of pus around the amygdala)
- Tonsillitis that cause febrile seizures.
On several occasions Tonsil surgery is performed along with removal of the adenoids (adenoidectomy). The intervention of adenoids is indicated when they produce a difficult breathing through the nose, the child has nasal voice, snores at night, and produces recurrent otitis and/or hearing loss. In the last case it is often necessary also to a puncture of the eardrum to suck the mucus (paracentesis o miringotomy), and sometimes to insert grommets.
The main surgical complication of tonsils and adenoids surgery is bleeding, with an incidence around 1% of these surgeries. This problem is usually solved with local measures such as washing and rinsing with cold serum and / or procoagulant medication, but in some cases it is necessary the surgical revision of the patient. Less frequent are infections or problems secondary to anesthesia. A certain change in the resonance of the voice is common when children with hypertrophy of the tonsils and adenoids are operated.