Tonsillectomy

Overview

Tonsillectomy (ton-sih-LEK-tuh-me) is the surgical removal of the tonsils, two oval-shaped pads of tissue at the back of the throat — one tonsil on each side.

A tonsillectomy was once a common procedure to treat infection and inflammation of the tonsils (tonsillitis). Today, a tonsillectomy is usually performed for sleep-disordered breathing but may still be a treatment when tonsillitis occurs frequently or doesn’t respond to other treatments.

A tonsillectomy may also be necessary to treat breathing and other problems related to enlarged tonsils and to treat rare diseases of the tonsils.

Recovery time for a tonsillectomy is usually at least 10 days to two weeks.

Why it’s done

A tonsillectomy is used to treat:

Recurring, chronic or severe tonsillitis
Complications of enlarged tonsils
Bleeding of the tonsils
Other rare diseases of the tonsils

Tonsillitis

The tonsils are the immune system’s first line of defense against bacteria and viruses that enter your mouth. This function may make the tonsils particularly vulnerable to infection and inflammation. However, the tonsil’s immune system function declines after puberty — a factor that may account for the rare cases of tonsillitis in adults.

A tonsillectomy may be recommended to prevent frequent, recurring episodes of tonsillitis. Frequent tonsillitis is generally defined as:

At least seven episodes in the preceding year
At least five episodes a year in the past two years
At least three episodes a year in the past three years

The procedure may also be recommended if:

A bacterial infection causing tonsillitis doesn’t improve with antibiotic treatment
An infection that results in a collection of pus behind a tonsil (tonsillar abscess) doesn’t improve with drug treatment or a drainage procedure

Complications of enlarged tonsils

Tonsils may become enlarged after frequent or persistent infections, or they may be naturally large. A tonsillectomy may be used to treat the following problems caused or complicated by enlarged tonsils: