Is It Advisable To Operate On The Tonsils?
The need for tonsil surgery has been questioned for many decades . In some cases, specialists recommend it and in others, not.
Currently, the tendency to operate them is no longer so widespread, and only very specific cases are used.
Tonsils and tonsillitis
The tonsils are small, round tissues located in the oral cavity, on both sides of the throat. Among other functions, they are useful when it comes to fighting infections, producing antibodies.
On the other hand, the well-known tonsillitis (or “sore throat”) occurs when the tonsils become infected and inflamed.
The symptoms of this pathology are very diverse. They depend on the causes of the infection. In addition, they can occur progressively or suddenly.
Among these signs are:
- Sore throats
- Loss of appetite
- General discomfort
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Upset stomach
- Pain when swallowing
Tonsillectomy, operate on tonsils
The causes that advise to operate on the tonsils are not fully defined. In fact, surgeons and specialists disagree.
In general, among the most accepted reasons for the need for tonsil surgery are:
- I dream of apnea.
- Severe difficulty swallowing
- Tonsil hemorrhages difficult to stop.
- Nasal obstruction.
- Also, even tumors in the nasal passages or in the throat.
How is the tonsil operation?
The most common way to operate on the tonsils is that the child or young person is anesthetized and the surgeon removes the tonsils and adenoids through the mouth.
This means that no skin incision will be made.
The operation can be done in two different ways:
- In one, the entire tonsil can be removed when throat infections recur.
- In another, only the bulging parts that block the airway are removed.
Wounds and risks
The otolaryngologist who is going to operate will decide which operation is the most appropriate.
The wound that remains after the tonsils are removed is usually left open. Therefore, a small loss of blood is common. After the operation, the child is very tired and needs to sleep.
As for the possible risks, any type of surgery has some added risk.
- About 5% of these operations present bleeding in the first five to eight days after the intervention. They may even require transfusions or additional surgery in some cases.
- Another side effect that could occur, although in very few cases, is a slight change in the voice due to the intervention.
- Like any surgery, in some cases postoperative infections, internal bleeding or breathing difficulties may occur.
Each particular case
In general, each patient’s case will be different. For this reason, the doctor will have to assess the particular risks.
Likewise, it is advisable to have more than one opinion from specialist doctors.
A first barrier
It is said that the tonsils constitute a first barrier of immune protection of our organism , especially of the throat.
In effect, the reality is that the tonsils are lymphatic tissues and there are immune cells inside them.
However, if they are operated on, there are other organs that will perform the defense function attributed to the tonsils.
The ideal time to trade
Currently, the trend is for surgery to be carried out only when strictly necessary.
In children, for example, it is only prescribed in those cases in which they have more than six repeated episodes of acute tonsillitis during a year.
In addition, it is also considered necessary to operate on the tonsils when they have suffered more than four episodes a year during the last two years, or two annual angina in the last three.
Likewise, it is necessary to verify that the inflammation is actually of bacterial origin and has been treated correctly with drugs.
For a correct diagnosis, these symptoms must be present:
- Fever higher than 38.3 ºC.
- Lymph nodes in the pharynx area, with a minimum of two centimeters.
- Presence of streptococcus.
It is not easy that all these conditions together are fulfilled. For this reason, the number of tonsil operations has been decreasing.
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