Get advanced tonsillectomy surgery at Pristyn Care.

Pristyn Care is associated with advanced state-of-the-art hospitals to help provide minimally invasive tonsillectomy for both adults and children. At Pristyn Care, our ENT specialists use USFDA-approved procedures such as electrocautery and coblation tonsillectomy to ensure the surgery is completed without any complications.

One of the biggest advantages of such advanced procedures is that they have a shorter recovery period and allow patients to return to their regular lives very quickly compared to conventional treatments. Another significant advantage is their lack of surgical and post-surgical complications.

Pristyn Care surgical team has well-trained expert ENT specialists with over 10 years of experience in performing successful tonsillectomy surgeries through minimally invasive techniques for successful outcomes. In addition to their surgical expertise, they have a warm demeanor which ensures the patient is comfortable during their treatment journey.

Diagnosis

Before the surgery, it is necessary to have a proper diagnostic evaluation to evaluate the severity of the condition and to ensure that the surgery is the right course of treatment. For proper diagnosis of tonsillitis, its causes, and severity, the ENT doctor will perform the following diagnostic tests:

• Physical examination: The physical examination includes an inspection of the throat for any suspicious growths, abnormal rashes, nodules, etc. The doctor will also palpate your neck lymph nodes to determine whether they are infected and assess your breath sounds to find out if the infection has spread to the lungs.
• Throat swab: The ENT specialist will collect a sample of the throat discharge on a clean and sterilized swab for lab culture. This will help identify the pathogen behind the infection and help the doctor prescribe the right medicine for it. In case the patient has associated infections such as sinusitis, pulmonary infection, etc., then the surgeon will need additional samples from the nose and larynx for an accurate lab examination.

Besides these, the patients may need additional diagnostic tests sometimes, such as CBC (Complete Blood Count), X-ray, CT scan, etc., for severe cases.

Treatment process

Tonsillectomy surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia to ensure that the patient has no pain or trauma associated with the surgery. Once the diagnosis is done, the surgeon and patient come together to determine the kind of treatment techniques that would be best for the patient. Generally, coblation and cauterization tonsillectomy are widely considered to be the best treatments for tonsillectomy. 

During electrocautery, or cauterization tonsillectomy, the surgeon uses low-energy electrocautery to remove the inflamed tonsils. On the other hand, during coblation tonsillectomy, the ENT surgeon uses low-temperature radiofrequency and a saline solution to gently and precisely remove the tonsils. Both these techniques prevent damage to the tissues surrounding tissues and thus aid in a faster recovery. 

Tonsillectomy generally takes about 20-30 minutes, and then the patient is moved to a recovery ward. Most patients are discharged within 24 hours, even if they are hospitalized for overnight observation.

While preparing for a tonsillectomy surgery, you must take the following precautions:

• Take your medicines as prescribed by the doctor. Do not skip a dose or take more medicine than recommended.
• Make sure to inform your ENT surgeon about your complete medical and family history, including allergies or bleeding disorders, if any.
• In case you are taking any blood thinners or similar medicines, you may need to halt them or alter their dosages for a few days before and after the surgery.
• To avoid anesthesia-related complications, don’t eat anything after midnight the night before surgery. If you have to take medicine, then drink very little water with it.
• Make sure you have a reliable attendant staying with you during the treatment.
• Since you can’t drive yourself home after the surgery, make sure you have a trustworthy ride home.
• Plan ahead for your recovery period. If you have any pets or little children, make alternative arrangements for their care for at least the first 10-14 days after the surgery.

Complete recovery after a tonsillectomy in adults can take about 2-3 weeks. You can promote your recovery by following a few simple tips:

• Rest well. Don’t strain your throat or voice. Also, avoid strenuous activities that may strain the surgical site and cause swelling, delaying your recovery.
• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration and swelling in the surgical area.
• Avoid fried, spicy and crispy foods as that may irritate the surgical wound and potentially lead to postoperative complications. 
• Eat soft and healthy foods such as ice creams, yogurt, broth, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, pudding, etc., after the surgery as they soothe your throat and fulfill dietary needs.
• Take your medicines as prescribed, especially painkillers and antibiotics.
• Massage the surgical area with an ice pack several times a day for 2-3 days after the surgery.
• Wait at least two weeks before going on a long journey. However, if you can’t wait, consult your surgeon and get their approval.
• Visit your ENT surgeon for a follow-up consultation to ensure there are no postoperative complications.

Tonsillectomy is required to treat the following conditions:

• Recurring, chronic, or severe infection of the tonsils
• Breathing problems due to swollen/enlarged tonsils
• Frequent and loud snoring due to airway obstruction 
• Sleep apnea, i.e., breathing difficulties while sleeping due to swollen tonsils
• Recurrent bleeding of the tonsils or blood vessels surrounding the tonsils
• Severe halitosis (bad breath) due to tonsillar debris
• Tonsil stones
• Tonsil cancer

Tonsillectomy is generally considered necessary if the symptoms related to tonsillitis, such as pain and difficulty in swallowing, breathing difficulties, sleep apnea, swelling in the neck glands, etc., are severely impacting your life or if you are not experiencing adequate relief from tonsillitis even after maximum medical treatment. 

Tonsillectomy is also preferred over medical treatments if the patient has a tonsillar abscess, i.e., collection of pus behind the tonsils, accompanied by severe pain, fever, swelling, etc.

The 5 most common benefits of  getting your tonsils removed are:

• Better quality of life: Tonsillitis is a painful condition that impedes everyday tasks such as speaking, eating, breathing, etc. Therefore, getting a tonsillectomy can make all these problems disappear and provide a better quality of life for all patients.
• Fewer infections: Tonsil infections can lead to further infections and health problems such as adenoiditis, sinusitis, sore throat, pulmonary infections, etc. Therefore, tonsil removal is an effective method of preventing them from happening in the future.
• Less use of medication: Fewer infections result in less intake of prescription medications such as antibiotics, which helps prevent the increase of your body’s tolerance for said medicines and keeps the body’s immune response in check.
• Improved sleep: Breathing difficulties and throat obstruction caused due to enlarged tonsils often results in sleep apnea. This results in disruption of the sleep cycle, overall tiredness, and moody behavior. A tonsillectomy can prevent or treat sleep apnea and help get better sleep.

Less time off work or school: People with severe tonsil infections often have to skip work (school), which results in increased absences and decreased productivity. A successful tonsillectomy means less time off of work and higher productivity.

Pseudonyms for patient privacy: Akaash (5), Neeta (Patient’s mother)

Neeta’s son, Akaash, was a very happy-go-lucky child, except for one thing: he got sick very easily. He would often get sick after eating or drinking cold foods and wake up at night due to breathing difficulties. She, and her husband, consulted many doctors, but none of the treatments were effective in the long term. 

When the problems stretched for over a year, they started searching online and came to the Pristyn Care website. After consulting ENT specialists at her nearby Pristyn Care clinic, it was diagnosed that Akaash has severe tonsillitis. When our ENT specialist recommended surgery, they were a little scared and skeptical, especially due to Akaash’s young age, but on further consideration, they agreed to have the surgery.

The surgery was performed effortlessly using a coblator, and there was no pain during the procedure itself. Neeta has admitted since then, that Akaash is doing much better. He does get sick easily now and sleeps much better now. She admits that getting tonsillectomy surgery for her son at Pristyn Care was a good decision. 

Tonsillectomy surgery can be performed as both inpatient or outpatient surgery, i.e., you may be discharged on the same day, or you may be hospitalized respectively. Even if you are hospitalized, you will likely be discharged within 24 hours of the surgery. 

You may be groggy for the first 24-48 hours due to the anesthesia, but as the anesthesia wears off, that will disappear.

You may have a sore throat, along with mild ear, neck, and jaw pain for a few days. The pain and soreness can last up to 10 days but can be easily managed through painkillers and anti-inflammatory medicines.

Your tonsillectomy site will develop white patchy scabs very quickly. Do not touch or irritate these scabs as that may reopen the surgical wounds. If your scabs are bleeding, you can massage your neck region with ice packs to soothe them. However, if there is too much blood, then you need to visit an emergency room immediately. Generally, these scabs fall off on their own within 5 to 10 days with very little pain.