Tonsillectomy (pronounced “tahn-suh-LEK-tuh-me”) refers to the surgical removal of your tonsils. Your tonsils are round, fleshy masses in the back of your throat. Unless you’ve had them removed, you have two — one on each side.
Most of the time, surgeons remove all portions of your tonsils during this procedure. But some people might only need a partial tonsillectomy.
Doctors recommend tonsillectomy for two main reasons:
To treat breathing-related sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea.
To reduce the risk of infection in people with frequent or chronic tonsillitis.
While most tonsillectomies treat children, adults can also benefit from the procedure.
Your healthcare provider will give you general anesthesia to keep you asleep and comfortable during your procedure. Next, they’ll remove your tonsils. You won’t feel pain during this step. Surgeons use many methods to perform tonsillectomies, including:
Electrocautery: This method uses heat to remove the tonsils and stop any bleeding.
Cold knife (steel) dissection: A surgeon uses a scalpel (traditional surgical knife) to remove your tonsils. Then, they’ll stop the bleeding with electrocautery (extreme heat) or sutures.
Snare tonsillectomy: A surgeon uses a special surgical instrument called a snare, which has a thin wire loop at the end. Once your surgeon frees your tonsil, they’ll place this device around it to clamp it off. This helps reduce bleeding.
Harmonic scalpel: This method uses ultrasonic vibrations to remove your tonsils and stop bleeding at the same time.
Having a tonsillectomy can offer many benefits, including:
Better sleep quality
Fewer infections
Improved quality of life
On average, most people reach full recovery in about two weeks. Overall recovery time depends on several factors, including the type of tonsillectomy you had, your body’s healing capacity and whether you experienced any complications.
Drinking plenty of fluids is key to a successful tonsillectomy recovery. In addition, you’ll probably want to eat soft, cool foods for the first week. You can introduce solid foods once your comfort level allows, but you should avoid hard and spicy foods, as they can irritate the surgical area.
Food and drink recommendations during tonsillectomy recovery include:
Water, tea and juice
Ice cream
Smoothies
Yogurt
Pudding
Applesauce
Broth
Mashed potatoes
Scrambled eggs.