What dietary habits should the patient follow after tonsillectomy?
After you’ve had a tonsillectomy, it is very important to take care of your nutrition and diet to make sure that your recovery is not impeded. Food habits you should adopt during the recovery period after tonsillectomy are:
- Most patients experience an upset stomach and nausea for a couple of days after the surgery due to the anesthesia. During this period, it is best to go slow with foods and liquids. In fact, you can even avoid solid foods entirely on the day of the surgery.
- Make sure to consume at least 2 to 3 ounces of water each hour to prevent dehydration. You can also consume other liquids such as apple juice, grape juices, electrolyte drinks, flat sodas, ice pops, and broth.
- Once you can handle clear liquids and are sure you don’t have any lingering nausea, you can start drinking dairy products like milk, smoothies, ice cream, shakes, and malts.
- Your throat may feel irritated for a week so opt for easy-to-swallow dost foods such as daliya, creamy cereals, soup, paneer, pureed fruits, yogurt, and mashed potatoes during this period.
- You should also avoid crunchy, spicy, and fatty foods during this period. Once your throat feels normal, you can resume your regular diet.
Which foods should be avoided after tonsillectomy surgery?
During your recovery period, it is important to focus on the proper diet as certain foods may improve recovery while others may impede it. Some foods you should avoid during your recovery period are:
- Avoid all red foods such as jell-O, cherry ice pops, tomato-based products, and red drinks for at least a week after the surgery. These foods make it harder to discern if there is any bleeding or infection from the incisions.
- Avoid crispy and crunchy foods as the jagged ends of these foods can scratch and irritate the surgical site. It is best to avoid chips, crackers, and other fried items for at least a month.
- Avoid hot meals for a few days. Instead, take room temperature meals to avoid irritating the surgical area.
What are the complications of tonsillectomy?
Although relatively safe, tonsillectomy is major surgery. If not performed properly, it can lead to serious complications. That’s why it is necessary to select an expert ENT specialist for your tonsil surgery. Possible complications of tonsillectomy surgery are:
- Pain and infection
- Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV)
- Airway obstruction with respiratory compromise
- Minor postoperative bleeding
- Hypopnea
- Failure to relieve the symptoms
- Nasal regurgitation
In children below 5 years of age, tonsillectomy can even cause serious complications like hemorrhage, anesthetic death, infection, nasopharyngeal stenosis, patulous eustachian tube, and hypernasality.
How to book an appointment at Pristyn Care for a tonsillectomy in Chennai?
You can book an appointment with the best ENT specialists in Chennai for tonsillectomy surgery near you by the following methods:
- Fill in the ‘book an appointment form on the page. Our care coordinators will reach out to you to book your appointment based on your problem and location.
- Call us on the number on this page to talk to our care coordinators directly.
- Download our dedicated patient care app and look through our database of ENT specialists near you.
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