Removal of tonsils
Tonsilectomy (Latin name)By Bjarne Lühr Hansen PhD, MD and Philipp Skafte-Holm MD, Mentor Institute
You have two tonsils that sit back in the throat. The first years of life tonsils are important for the development of the immune system, but then they have no known function. If you have many throat infections or have had a tummy in the almonds, you can remove the tonsils by an operation that passes into full anaesthesia. Pain in the throat after surgery for a little week is common. There is a certain risk of bleeding from the surgery site in the throat 1-2 weeks after the operation.
The almonds are placed right behind the throat - one on each side of the tongue. Tonsils are important during the first years of development of our immune system, but then they have no known function.
Inflammation in the tonsils is what we call a real throat infection and treated with antibiotics.
Some - especially young people - have frequent throat infections. You can choose to remove the tonsils. As a rule of thumb, you should have had 3-4 sore throats a year for at least two years before considering removing the tonsils. In some, the throat develops into a boil in the throat. In that case, you will always be recommended to remove the tonsils to prevent a new boil in the throat.
The operation takes place in full anaesthesia. The first 3-5 days after the procedure, you have pain in your throat and therefore trouble drinking and eating food. 1-2 weeks after surgery, the sore scabs are rejected in the throat where almonds have been sitting. There may be bleeding from the site of surgery in the throat when the wound shoots are rejected.