Tonsillectomy All FAQ

According to several clinical reports and medical research articles, it’s clear that tonsillectomy does not affect your immune system, but it helps in improving the immune response. In the long-run, tonsillectomy does not lead to any significant problems of salivary defense capacity. ||In case you are suffering from any of the symptoms due to tonsillitis, your doctor can recommend a tonsillectomy.

No, you will not feel any pain during tonsillectomy because the surgery will be conducted under the effect of anesthesia that is given to you before the start of the procedure. Anesthesia will not make you feel any pain or discomfort during the surgical process. However, post-surgery, you can feel pain in the morning for the next 3-7 days, which is normal. To reduce this pain, your doctor can prescribe you a few analgesics, which need to be administered as directed by the physician.

Once you undergo a tonsillectomy, a few post-surgical instructions are recommended to you as they can help you to recover quickly and reduce the chances of post-surgical complications and risks. A few of those instructions are: ||Avoid excessive physical activities like lifting weights and strenuous exercises. ||Do not eat hot and spicy food items. ||Drink more fluids like water, apple juice, and grape juice. ||Take pain killers as directed by your doctor. ||Gently apply the ice bags on the front of the neck. ||However, if you suffer from fever, bleeding, and any other symptoms of tonsillitis even after 4-8 weeks of the surgery, visit your doctor and seek immediate medical attention.

Tonsillectomy can be performed in different ways and are: ||Cold knife dissection: Infected tonsils are removed using a scalp ||Cauterization: Involves burning away the infected tonsil tissues ||Laser tonsillectomy: The surgeon uses the laser to destroy the infected tonsil tissues ||Whatever the type of tonsillectomy you are undergoing, the first step involves sedation, where you will be sedated using either local or general anesthesia to avoid the pain and discomfort. ||Once the surgery is completed, you will be shifted to the recovery room, where all your vital signs will be monitored until you are worn off from the aesthetic effect.

Yes, tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy can be performed together to remove the infected and inflamed tonsils & adenoids. Both these surgeries together are referred to as T&A. However, T&A is recommended when you are suffering from recurrent throat infections, difficulty swallowing, tonsillitis and adenoiditis which do not respond to the medications.

In case you have tonsillitis, you can identify the cause simply by noting the symptoms. If your symptoms are mild, tonsillitis can be caused by viral infections like colds or flu. In case your symptoms are severe and last longer with bad breath, tonsillitis can be caused by bacteria like streptococcus. However, we suggest you consult with an ENT doctor to find out the cause of your tonsillitis and to seek medical attention.

One of the clinical studies stated that tonsillitis could be developed as a result of genetic predisposition. But more research is needed to know whether tonsillitis can be hereditary or not. We recommend you consult with an ENT doctor to know more information about tonsillitis.

Generally, tonsillitis is not contagious, but the infection that causes tonsillitis can be contagious and can infect a healthy individual. To stop the spread of these infections, you need to maintain a healthy life by following all precautions suggested by your ENT doctor.

Healthy tonsils help in preventing the entry of bacteria and viruses to enter the body. In this process, your tonsils can get infected by ether viruses or bacteria like rhinovirus, influenza virus, and streptococcus. In case you have tonsillitis, you can suffer from a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and enlarged lymph nodes in the neck.

Yes, tonsillitis can cause airway obstruction as a result of swollen tonsils. And due to this, you may often breathe through your mouth rather than the nose. In case you notice a change in the breathing pattern, consult an ENT doctor and seek medical attention.

No, tonsillitis is a medical condition where the tonsils themself become infected, inflamed, and swollen due to viral and bacterial infections. Tonsils tones are called tonsilloliths that are hard yellow or white deposits of bacteria and debris located on or within the tonsils. To know more details about tonsillitis and tonsil stones, you can have a consultation with your doctor.

No, tonsillitis is not considered a symptom of COVID-19. It is a condition where healthy tonsils are infected by either bacteria or viruses like the influenza virus, rhinovirus, and streptococcus. To know more details about tonsillitis and COVID-19, consult with your doctor.

To cure tonsillitis permanently, undergoing surgery is the only option. The surgery performed to remove tonsils is known as tonsillectomy. In case you are suffering from frequent throat infections and recurrent tonsillitis even after taking medications, and following all home remedies, your doctor can recommend undergoing a tonsillectomy.

Below are few of the do’s after underging tonsillectomy: ||Take pain killers and other medicines as directed by your doctor ||Wrap a bag of crushed ice in a towel and place it on the neck as directed by the doctor ||Have a liquid diet or soft foods like gelatin, ice cream, and mashed potatoes ||Use a cool humidifier to soothe your throat ||Take plenty of rest to promote better healing

Mainly, tonsillectomy is used to remove the infected and swollen tonsils. Apart from this, below are the top 5 benefits of tonsillectomy. ||Reduces the occurrence of throat infections ||Improves quality of sleep by resolving sleep apnea ||Reduces the difficulty swallowing ||Improves scratchy or muffled voice caused due to tonsillitis ||Reduces the severity of bad breath, which can be a result of tonsillitis

Tonsillectomy is one of the safest and most effective surgical procedures used to remove infected tonsils. Tonsillectomy usually does not involve complications. But, in certain situations, few complications of tonsillectomy might occur such as: ||Pain at the site of the surgery [throat] ||Infection of the throat ||PONV: Postoperative nausea and vomiting ||Bleeding at the site of the surgery ||Can alter your sense of smell in very rare cases

Tonsillitis can be easily diagnosed and treated by an experienced ENT doctor through a physical examination of your throat and look for the following ||Redness, swelling, and white or yellow spots on your tonsils ||Runny nose ||Fever ||Also, your doctor will examine your ear and nose for the spread of infection and the severity of tonsillitis.

If you are suffering from tonsillitis, your doctor can suggest you to change your diet and can recommend eating the following food items. ||Cooked cereal and warm oatmeal ||Gelatin desserts ||Yogurts with pureed fruits ||Smoothies that are prepared from fruits or vegetables ||Mashed potatoes

Usually, you can get discharged from the hospital on the same day of the surgery. However, in a few cases, some patients may need to stay in the hospital overnight or a day. If you are worried about the discharge after the tonsillectomy, you can consult our ENT doctor and can have a discussion about the tonsillectomy.

Medical professionals who are specialized in ENT can perform a tonsillectomy. And they may take about 30 to 60 minutes to complete the surgery. However, this procedure time can vary from one patient to another due to any of the following factors: ||Severity and complexity of the tonsillitis ||Presence of any underlying disease that can affect the outcome of the surgery ||Any allergic reaction to the anesthesia used to sedate the patient

Usually, after tonsillectomy, you are not supposed to perform any type of physical activity like riding, jogging, lifting weights, and aerobic exercises for up to 2 weeks. Because they can increase the risk of bleeding and can cause further complications. However, after two weeks of the completion of the surgery, your doctor can suggest you to do physical activities.

Tonsillectomy is indicated only for those who fall under any of the following criteria. ||Frequent throat infections due to tonsillitis [seven times a year, five times a year in 2 years, three times a year in 3 years] ||Tonsillitis with other problems like sleep apnea and difficulty breathing and swallowing ||Abscess formation with tumors around the tonsils ||Failure of medications in treating tonsillitis ||If you are worried about your health due to tonsillitis, you can consult our ENT doctors and can decide to undergo the safest tonsillectomy.

Below are a few of the long-term outcomes of tonsillectomy: ||Can increase upper respiratory tract infections [stillmore research need to be done] ||Can increase allergies [rarely] ||Can increase the risk of COPD [Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] ||Can increase the risk of infectious diseases

Below are a few steps to be taken care of in preparation for tonsillectomy. ||Tell about past and present medical and medication history with your doctor ||Inform your doctor if you are on medications like anti-inflammatory drugs and blood thinners. ||Your doctor may advise you to stop taking anti-inflammatory drugs from 2 weeks before the date of the surgery. ||You can be provided with a few instructions about what to eat and what not to eat before 2-3 days of the surgery. ||It is good to bring someone with you for easy transport to home after the surgery. ||And, have a discussion with your doctor about the benefits, risks, complications, side-effects, and long-term outcomes of the tonsillectomy.

On a general note, any individual who undergoes tonsillectomy may take around 10-14 days to get back to their everyday routines. However, this duration can change due to factors like: ||Age of the patient ||Type of tonsillectomy performed ||Severity of tonsillitis ||Presence of any underlying disease that may alter the outcomes of tonsillectomy ||Post-surgical care ||And a few clinical reports mentioned that people who undergo tonsillectomy might take around 3-4 weeks to recover completely from the surgery.

Yes, tonsils can grow back even after tonsillectomy [removal of tonsils]. However, this can occur in very rare situations like leaving a small piece of tonsils after the surgery. But tonsils won’t grow back or regenerate entirely to their original size. However, if you have noticed that your tonsils have grown back after undergoing tonsillectomy, we recommend you to meet an ENT doctor and seek medical attention.

Based on clinical reports and medical studies, the success rate of tonsillectomy ranges between 85% to 96%. This can vary from patient to patient due to factors like ||Age of the patient ||Severity and complexity of the tonsillectomy ||Post-surgical care followed by the patient

Based on the cause, tonsillitis is of two types and are: ||Viral tonsillitis: Tonsillitis caused by viruses like the common cold, adenovirus, and rhinovirus. ||Bacterial tonsillitis: Tonsillitis caused as a result of bacterial infections caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria.