Tonsillectomy, also known as tonsil surgery, is the surgical removal of the tonsils located at the back of the throat. One of the most frequently performed operations, especially in childhood, tonsil surgery can today be carried out in a shorter time and with greater comfort thanks to developments in health technology. The answers to questions such as “What is tonsil surgery (tonsillectomy)?”, “How is tonsil surgery performed?”, and “How is it decided whether a tonsillectomy is needed?”, as well as other questions and curiosities about tonsillectomy, are discussed in detail later in this article.
What Is Tonsillectomy?
The tonsil, known in medical literature as the tonsil, is a pair of tissues located on each side at the back of the throat. Thanks to the white blood cells they contain, the tonsils serve as an important component of the immune system. By filtering microbes entering through the mouth and nose before they spread to the rest of the body, they can help protect the body from infection. However, the tonsils themselves may sometimes become infected due to various causes, such as viral or bacterial infections. In this case, symptoms such as pain and difficulty swallowing may occur. If tonsillitis lasts a long time and/or recurs frequently, the tonsils may need to be removed. Also, in cases of tonsil enlargement, the tonsils may need to be removed. Tonsillectomy, that is, tonsil surgery, is the removal of all or part of the tonsils using surgical methods.
What Are the Symptoms of Tonsillectomy?
Removal of the tonsils by tonsillectomy is one of the treatment methods for chronic tonsillitis. So, what are the signs indicating that tonsil surgery is needed? What are the symptoms of tonsillitis? Some of the common symptoms of tonsillitis can be listed as follows:
Sore throat or burning sensation in the throat,
Difficulty swallowing,
Redness of the tonsils,
White patches around the tonsils,
High fever,
Swelling of the lymph nodes along the neck.
If the above symptoms persist for a long time or recur, chronic tonsillitis may be present. Chronic tonsillitis may be referred to in people who have had at least 7 episodes of tonsillitis in the last 1 year, at least 5 in the last 2 years, or at least 3 in the last 3 years. Accordingly, a tonsillectomy operation may be needed in these people (5). Continuously recurring tonsillitis can cause the tonsils to enlarge. As a result, complaints such as difficulty breathing and interrupted breathing during sleep may arise.
How Is a Tonsil Diagnosis Made?
Tonsillitis can be easily diagnosed by a physical examination performed by a specialist ear, nose and throat doctor. The specialist doctor first checks whether the patient has symptoms such as redness or swelling of the tonsils, or white patches in the throat. In some cases, the specialist doctor may use laboratory tests, such as a blood test, to check for the presence of infection in the body. In addition, culture tests may be used to determine the type of bacteria causing the inflammation so that appropriate treatment can be started.
How Is Tonsil Surgery Performed?
Before tonsil surgery, depending on the doctor’s recommendation, medication may need to be used for a period of time to reduce inflammation in the tonsils. Also, since medications with blood-thinning properties can increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery, it may be necessary to stop them before surgery, after consulting the patient’s own doctor.
Tonsil surgery can be performed today using many different techniques. Regardless of which technique is used, general anesthesia is used during surgery. The main surgical techniques used today in tonsil surgeries, in which all or part of the tonsils are removed, are as follows:
Vaporization method: This is the process of vaporizing all or part of the tonsils using the plasma method. With this method, tonsil surgery is performed painlessly and without bleeding.
Cold steel method: One of the most frequently used techniques in tonsil surgery today is the cold steel method. In surgeries performed with the cold steel method, the specialist surgeon removes the tonsils with the help of a scalpel, and then the incised area is closed with stitches or cautery.
Harmonic scalpel method: The harmonic scalpel method is a surgical technique in which ultrasonic vibrations are used to remove all of the tonsils. During surgery, thanks to ultrasonic energy, the surgeon can cut and seal the wound at the same time with a blade that can move 55000 times.
Thermal welding method: During tonsillectomy, the specialist doctor can use thermal energy and pressure to both remove the tonsils and stop bleeding.
Electrocautery method: In the electrocautery method, heat energy is used both to remove the tonsils and to close the wound.
Laser method: In the laser method, the surgeon may use laser technology to destroy tonsil tissue.
Thanks to positive developments in the health field, tonsil surgeries can today be performed in a shorter time and with greater comfort. The operation takes about half an hour. Today, it is possible to perform tonsil surgery without making any incision inside the mouth. In addition, procedures such as placing a ventilation tube (ear tube) in the ear, which is applied to those who have frequent middle ear infections, or removal of the adenoids (adenoidectomy) for those who have difficulty breathing due to enlarged adenoids, can also be performed at the same time as tonsil surgery.
How Is Tonsil Treatment Performed?
Tonsil inflammation may be caused by viruses or bacteria. In tonsil treatment, the cause of the infection is first determined. If the source of the infection is bacteria, antibiotic medications may be prescribed to the patient. In viral infections, however, medications aimed at relieving symptoms are often prescribed. One of the mistakes frequently made by people with a sore throat is using antibiotics without consulting a doctor. However, antibiotics are medications that are effective only against bacterial infections. In other words, if tonsillitis is caused by a viral infection, antibiotics will not be effective. In cases where no positive result is obtained from medications, and the infection persists for a long time or recurs frequently, a tonsillectomy operation may be recommended to the patient .
If tonsillitis is not treated in the early stages, later it may lead to problems such as middle ear infection, loss of appetite, and resulting weight loss. For this reason, if you suspect a throat infection in yourself or your child, do not neglect to make an appointment with a doctor specialized in ear, nose and throat diseases as soon as possible and to have the necessary checks done.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tonsil surgery and adenoid surgery are among the most frequently performed operations, especially in childhood. In particular, chronic tonsillitis in children can cause health problems such as developmental delay. Some of the questions most frequently asked about tonsil surgery are addressed below. Untreated tonsillitis can lead over time to health problems such as difficulty breathing, sleep apnea, loss of appetite, and ear infection. Tonsil surgery, in which all or part of the tonsils are removed, is performed to relieve patients’ symptoms in health problems such as chronic tonsillitis, sleeping with the mouth open, snoring, breathing pauses during sleep (apnea), and tonsil enlargement. Some pain after tonsillectomy surgery is normal. For this reason, the specialist doctor may prescribe pain-relieving medications to the patient. After tonsillectomy surgery, patients are usually discharged on the same day. In some cases, depending on the patient’s condition, they may need to stay in the hospital for 1 night. Drinking plenty of lukewarm water in the days after the operation can help keep the throat moist. In addition, it is recommended to consume foods such as purées and soups for a while. Tonsil surgery can be performed using various techniques. Traditionally, techniques such as the cold steel method were mainly used in tonsil surgery, while today tonsil removal without surgical incision is possible with methods such as plasma vaporization and laser tonsillectomy. There are many scientific studies on the harms of tonsil removal to the body’s immune system. Looking at these studies, there is no definitive evidence that tonsil removal damages the immune system. With today’s developments in health technology, adenoid and tonsil surgeries can be performed at the same time. Tonsil surgery can be performed as removal of all or part of the tonsils. After operations in which all of the tonsils are removed, the risk of recurrence of throat infection is quite low. However, after tonsillectomy operations in which part of the tonsil tissue is left behind, there is a risk of infection recurring. Tonsils are structures that play an important role in the body’s immune system. Microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses that enter the body through the mouth and/or nose are caught by the tonsils, and their spread to the rest of the body is prevented. In addition, in some cases, inflammation may develop in the tonsils themselves. In this case, symptoms such as sore throat, high fever, and hoarseness may appear. Generally, tonsil inflammation heals on its own within a few days, but in some cases inflammation may persist for a long time and/or recur frequently. Long-lasting tonsillitis can cause health problems such as middle ear infection. In this case, treatment options such as medication use are evaluated first. In cases where no result is obtained, all or part of the tonsils may need to be removed through tonsil surgery.
If you or your child have complaints such as sore throat, itching in the throat, or high fever, do not neglect to make an appointment with a specialist doctor and have the necessary checks done.
