Tonsillectomy at world wide international aesthetic

TONSILLECTOMY & ADENOTONSILLECTOMY

What Is Tonsil Surgery?

The tonsils are small lumps of tissue that can be seen on either side of the uvula. Uvula is a piece of tissue that hangs down from the soft palate in the back of the throat. The tonsils are used to protect body against respiratory and gastrointestinal infections caused by germs.  Tonsil surgeries are procedures that involve removing the tonsils for a variety of reasons and their removal does not affect the proper functioning of the respiratory system.

Adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy are surgical procedures, often performed at the same operating time, these are two procedures with different purposes, the indications and the operating sequences being distinct. In children, enlarged tonsils are common and physiological. It results from an inflammatory reaction of an organism in the process of immune maturation. The volume naturally decreases as immunity is acquired. Sometimes it wont decrease and in mature and older ages have to remove them.

How Does Operation Work?

The surgery lasts 10 to 20 minutes under general anesthesia. It is performed by passing the instruments through the mouth.

Two surgical techniques exist:

• The conventional dissection surgical technique with cold instruments; the tonsil is removed and the bleeding is controlled with ligatures or stitches,
• Diathermy, which is the use of a high frequency electric current to cut tissue, remove the tonsil and control bleeding.

Tonsillectomy is often associated with adenoidectomy, which is removal of the adenoid vegetations. Before being discharged home, patient will be seen by a doctor or nurse. The purpose of this exam is to make sure there are no signs of bleeding, that patient is well hydrated and that his pain is under control.

When to Have Tonsillectomy & Adenotonsillectomy?

Different situations can lead to proposing a removal of the tonsils:

• An obstructive enlargement of the tonsils that interferes with breathing and swallowing, or even causes obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). This is the main indication today. Because it causes poor quality sleep, OSA can affect a child's growth, neurocognitive development and behavior
• Recurrent tonsillitis (acute tonsillitis) (3 tonsillitis with pain and fever per year for two years in a row)
• Chronic tonsillitis (inflamed, tender tonsils, persistent after 3 months of treatment)
• Periodic fever, adenitis, pharyngitis in children
• Neoplastic pathology (lymphoma or rhabdomyosarcoma) of the tonsil.

Post-Surgery Care and Recommendations

Food

• It is recommended to eat smooth and soft foods for the first 2 weeks.
• It is best to avoid acidic (such as orange juice) or spicy foods.
• The consumption of liquid food supplements is recommended if you eat little and it is difficult for you.
• It is important to drink often, small amounts. You should drink at least 1.5 liters of fluid a day.
• The majority of patients lose weight during the post-surgery period.

Pain

• It is normal for throat pain to be very intense during the period following surgery. It can increase during the first days and reach its maximum between the 3rd and the 5th day.
• Sometimes the pain will spread to the ears. This is normal and is caused by painful stimulation of a nerve between the throat and the ears.
• The duration of pain varies from patient to patient. It usually lasts 10 to 14 days, but can extend beyond 2 weeks in some cases.
• You should not use aspirin or Toradol during the post-operative period, as these drugs increase the risk of bleeding.
• Ibuprofen can only be used if your surgeon prescribes it.

Healing

White and yellow plaques will form at the site of surgery during the first few days. It is normal and generally lasts around ten days. It is not a sign of infection.

Bleeding

• It is normal to spit blood streaks in the weeks following surgery. If more bleeding occurs, we ask that you go to the emergency room quickly for an assessment.
• It is normal to have blackish vomiting or black stools in the first 24 hours. It’s digested blood.

Physical effort

• It is recommended to limit physical efforts during the first 3 weeks to limit the risk of bleeding.
• We recommend that you do not lift loads over 10 pounds (4.5 kilos) and avoid physical exercises that causes your heart rate to rise.

Thanks to the latest techniques used and adapted, they have become easy, painless, rapidly healing surgeries with low postoperative complications and high patient satisfactions.