Is Tonsil Surgery a Good Idea for Adults?

Many adults are surprised when their ENT recommends a tonsillectomy. The first thing people often wonder is whether adults should get tonsil surgery or whether it’s just for kids. A tonsillectomy can actually be conducted on anybody of any age. Your provider will examine the state of your tonsils and your particular symptoms rather than how old you are.

As with any surgical procedure, tonsil surgery may have some drawbacks. Consequently, it’s a good idea to discuss your questions with your ENT, and carefully discuss what will happen during your tonsil surgery.

What is a tonsillectomy?

Tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure in which the tonsils are removed. That most likely sounds fairly obvious. But there’s more to it than that. You have two little lymph nodes at the back of your throat. These are your tonsils. Your body is packed with lymph nodes and your tonsils are a special example of these lymph nodes.

Lymph nodes are there to safeguard you from infection and illness and that goes for your tonsils as well. As your tonsils intercept these germs, they may become inflamed (you can sometimes identify this with other lymph nodes, too, it’s why your physician feels around your neck when you go in for a checkup).

During a tonsillectomy, these two particular lymph nodes are cautiously removed.

When is it appropriate for an adult to go through a tonsillectomy?

For a wide variety of reasons, tonsillectomy surgery is not as common as it used to be (having said that, approximately 500,000 tonsillectomies are still carried out each year, it’s a fairly common procedure).

Here are a few signs that you might need to have your tonsils removed:

• Your tonsils are damaged: Your tonsils can get sores on them or an abscess or possibly another source of damage which can lead to discomfort and may also be a health concern. Your ENT may advocate for having your tonsils extracted in situations like these.
• Chronic infections: Your tonsils are designed to help you filter out germs before they can trigger an infection or illness. But sometimes, your tonsils will actually cause an infection by doing their job too well. Completely removing the tonsils is often the best way to manage these chronic infections.
• Your tonsils are asymmetrical: Your tonsils should be around equal in size. So it’s most likely a sign that you need to get some treatment if one of your tonsils grows larger than the other (it could also suggest a more serious medical issue). Your doctor might recommend removal of one or more of your tonsils if one grows larger than the other.
• You have sleep apnea: Your tonsils can sometimes cause breathing problems, most commonly in the form of sleep apnea. When your airways become obstructed while you sleep, this is known as sleep apnea (this can cause some restless nights, including heavy snoring, and in rare cases even death). Taking out the tonsils can help clear the airway, helping you sleep better in the process.

The upsides and the downsides of a tonsillectomy

As with any surgery, there are advantages and disadvantages in terms of tonsillectomy. What those pros and cons look like will depend on the reason your tonsils are removed in the first place.

But surgery has some drawbacks. So with adults, what disadvantages does a tonsillectomy present? Here are a few of the most prevalent:

• Recovery: It may take some time to recover from your tonsillectomy. Although the surgery will most likely occur on an outpatient basis, that doesn’t mean the discomfort will recede in a day. Usually, tonsillectomy recovery will take 10-14 days.
• Discomfort: In adults, is tonsil surgery really painful? It isn’t unusual for this surgery to cause some pain. There’s even some evidence to suggest that adults often feel more pain and discomfort from tonsillectomy than children do (although the reasons for this are not well characterized).
• Complications: Any surgery has a risk of complications, and that’s definitely true in terms of tonsillectomy. Your provider can help you better understand these complications.

Should you get a tonsillectomy?

So, is it worth extracting tonsils in adults? Well, it depends (no surgery is always a good idea). Your provider will decide whether this surgery is appropriate for you based on your symptoms and your overall health.

In many cases, a tonsillectomy can signify a positive path forward and improve your general well-being. If you’re having chronic sore throats, are suffering from sleep apnea, or are worried about your tonsil health, contact us today.