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| Myth #1: | Doctors don’t remove tonsils anymore. |
| Fact: | Tonsillectomy is the second most common childhood surgery. Approximately 600,000 tonsillectomies are performed each year for children and adults. |
| Myth #2: | Tonsils are mainly removed for sore throats and tonsillitis. |
| Fact: | 75% of tonsillectomies are performed to treat obstructive sleep disorders.1 |
| Myth #3: | A child will be in pain for as much as two weeks after a tonsillectomy. |
| Fact: | Several studies show that with advanced low-temperature methods such as bipolar radiofrequency (RF), and ultrasonic dissection tonsillectomy, pain and recovery time are far less than with older, high-temperature technology such as electrocautery.2 RF tonsillectomy transfers low-temperature (40-70°C) energy to a saline solution to remove tonsils and adenoids by gradually breaking down the tissue. Electrocautery uses heat (400°C) generated by an electrical current to burn through the tissue. Also subtotal tonsillectomies have been shown to be much less painful than traditional tonsillectomies. |
| Myth #4: | After a tonsillectomy, a child can only eat ice cream |
| Fact: | With methods such as electrocautery recovery can take up to 2 weeks. Low-temperature methods such as bipolar RF tonsillectomy allows children to return to a normal diet on an average of 3 times faster—while also reducing the risk of dehydration and weight loss.2,3 |
| Myth #5: | Tonsillectomies have been performed the same way for decades. |
| Fact: | Scalpels and high-temperature technology are still used, but over the last several years, low-temperature technology and partial tonsillectomy have been shown to cause less pain, shorten recovery time, and require less postoperative narcotics than electrocautery methods that remove the tonsils by burning.2,3 |
The information provided here is not intended or recommended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always discuss any symptoms or treatment options with your primary care physician or an ENT specialist to review whether you or a loved one may be a candidate for a tonsillectomy.
- www.entnet.org/KidsENT/apnea.cfm
- Stoker KE, Don DM, Kang DR, et al. Pediatric total tonsillectomy using Coblation compared to conventional electrosurgery: a prospective, controlled single-blind study. Ontolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004; 130(6):666-675.
- Temple RH, Timms MS. Paediatric Coblation Tonsillectomy. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 2001; 61:195-198.
* The AAO–HNS is the world’s largest organization representing specialists who treat the ear, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. The AAO-HNS represents more than 12,000 otolaryngologists–head and neck surgeons.
Tonsillectomy technology is changing.
New low-temperature procedures may reduce pain and recovery time.
