Tonsillectomy - series

Tonsillectomy is advisable when tonsillitis attacks are so frequent or severe that they affect a child's general health or interfere with school, hearing, or breathing. However, tonsillectomies are thought to be done more often than necessary, so a second opinion should be obtained when there is any doubt.

Specifically, the guidelines for surgery are:

• 5 or more episodes of tonsillitis in one year, or
• 3 or more episodes per year over a 2-year period, or
• upper airway obstruction due to tonsillar hypertrophy
• recurrent tonsillar abscess

Tonsillectomy is advised if the tonsils are enlarged and obstructing access to the adenoid during an adenoidectomy operation, or the physician suspects the presence of a tonsil tumor.

Review Date: 10/25/2004
Reviewed By: Kevin Fung, M.D., FRCS(C), Department of Otolaryngology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.