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Long-term health risks after having adenoids or tonsils removed in childhood

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Re: Long-term health risks after having adenoids or tonsils removed in childhood

#31
Only barely related but I have a personal story about this!

I had my tonsils removed at eleven years old. I didn't know why then, and I still don't now.

I suffer quite a bit now from allergies (I'm not sure how related to this it is, and I guess I've no way of knowing really).

I remember being really scared, and the surgeon playfully telling me that I'd be fine, I'd be asleep through the whole thing and would wake up back on the ward (with ice cream!) and barely even know it was over. I was told that I should count to ten while they issue the anaesthetic. I was unconcious by seven.

The next thing I remember is waking up really disorientated, in a different room, and could only see blurred grey shapes. I've never been in such pain before or since. I shut my eyes and bit down hard into the white hospital pillow while screaming.

An unfamiliar voice shouted angrily at me that I wasn't supposed to be awake yet. I opened my eyes as the pillow felt wet only to realise that it had turned completely red. It felt like someone had cut my throat out.

My mother (having been advised that I'd be asleep for hours) had gone to get a coffee and was completely unaware that any of this had happened. For reasons that were never explained, the nurse wouldn't take me out of the room and my mum wasn't informed until a couple of hours later when I was wheeled back out onto the ward.

I had to stay in hospital for another two days as a result of what went wrong (haven't a clue to this day what that was exactly), and was bloody terrified.

Anyway, long story short is that when the bleeding eventually stopped I finally got some ice cream. It was warm, it tasted bad, and it was entirely not worth it.

In summary, surgery could well be correct for you and/or your child if a competent professional has analysed and considered your case and health outcomes, but I don't recommend that anyone allow themselves or their children to be mutilated without any explanation at all in exchange for sweet treats.

Re: Long-term health risks after having adenoids or tonsils removed in childhood

#32
post #20

This does not tie in with my experience as someone who had those removed at age 6. This winter for example, everyone in our household had nasty chest infections except me.

Anecdotal data is not a good source of medical advice.

Re: Long-term health risks after having adenoids or tonsils removed in childhood

#34
I had my adenoids and tonsils removed as a kid in the early 1970s. Had bad allergies all the way into my thirties, but I have no way of telling if they were the reason I needed to have my adenoids removed in the first place. However, I simply grew out of my allergies in my late 30s.

These days I rarely get sick, despite living in London and travelling on public transport all the time. And when everyone else in my family has a terrible sore throat, I never have a problem, so that's definitely a plus side for me right now.

I'd be really interested in whether there's a downside heading into old age, but I've not seen any data on that.

Re: Long-term health risks after having adenoids or tonsils removed in childhood

#37
post #30
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are more than 35,000 tonsillectomies done in Australia every year (and more than half a million in the US). This is a highly routine procedure. In fact there is very clear guidelines on when GPS should refer for tonsillectomy: Tonsillectomy is indicated When young children have had >7 episodes in one year or >5 episodes in either of the last 2 years, or quinsys, or obstructive sleep apnoea. Tcj_pcx for some rea…

I had a girlfriend who'd had her tonsils out as a child. She was an emotional wreck. I got her some bodywork (massage/etc), which she could have had as a child to prevent the surgery, and she's doing much better these days. She's still a firecracker; I'm glad she's living in the next state over.... > tonsillectomies [are] a highly routine procedure. Hopefully someday the medical profession will figure out how to trea…

Any relation between tonsils and your ex's gender/personality ("She was an emotional wreck") is nonsense. Don't post sexist stuff like that here.

Re: Long-term health risks after having adenoids or tonsils removed in childhood

#39
You have to pay to have them removed in the UK now, it's no longer free on the NHS, unless you suffer from 3x serious infections in a one year period.

I suffer from frequent sore throughs, infections and even tonsillitis. My Auntie, who is a doctor, strongly advised me not having them removed. Which at the time is not what I wanted to hear but it seems, unsurprisingly, was great advice.

Re: Long-term health risks after having adenoids or tonsils removed in childhood

#40

Only barely related but I have a personal story about this! I had my tonsils removed at eleven years old. I didn't know why then, and I still don't now. I suffer quite a bit now from allergies (I'm not sure how related to this it is, and I guess I've no way of knowing really). I remember being really scared, and the surgeon playfully telling me that I'd be fine, I'd be asleep through the whole thing and would wake up…

I'm really sorry you had to experience this.
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