What is tonsil?
Tonsils are structures located on both sides of our throat. Tonsils catch bacteria and viruses that enter the throat and produce antibodies, which are substances that help the body fight microbes. You can see the tonsils by looking down your child’s throat with a flashlight.

Although tonsil diseases are known as a problem in the pediatric age group, the same rules apply to adults. Tonsil surgery is also performed on adults who do not have any serious health problems that would prevent surgery. The lower age limit has been determined as 4-5 years old, except in compulsory cases. It is not possible to determine the upper age limit. In general, the incidence of this disease is low in older ages and simple solutions are often preferred.

What is Tonsillitis?
Tonsillitis develops as a result of the tonsils encountering microbes and swelling. If your child has recurrent tonsillitis, your doctor may recommend removing the tonsils. Six or more cases of tonsillitis diagnosed by a doctor per year may be grounds for surgery. Removing tonsils that have become incapable of defensive function due to frequent inflammation and have even begun to harm your child’s health is less risky than leaving chronically inflamed tonsils in the body. Children do not get sick more often after their tonsils are removed; Because other tissues that function in the body, such as tonsils, can produce enough substances that fight microbes.

Treatment of Chronic Tonsillitis: When Is Surgery Necessary?
Thanks to antibiotics, the standard treatment for every tonsillitis is no longer surgery, as it used to be. However, in case of frequently recurring sore throat and tonsillitis, a doctor should evaluate this. Your doctor may order a throat culture to check for a streptococcal infection. Streptococci are bacteria that cause inflammation. Antibiotic treatment also gives good results in inflammation caused by bacteria.

Your doctor may recommend tonsillectomy if one or more of the following conditions are present:

Frequently recurring tonsil infections come first among the relative criteria. 40% of tonsillectomy surgeries are performed for this reason.

Having had tonsillitis with fever 7 times in the last year, or 5 times per year in the last two years, or 3 or more times per year in the last three years
Diphtheria (Bird fluke) microbe carriers
People with heart valve disorders.
Frequent middle ear infections due to inflammation of the tonsils and adenoids.
In such cases, it is called chronic tonsillitis. For its solution, surgical treatment is recommended and planned.

Conditions requiring definitive surgery
Obstruction of the upper respiratory tract due to the size of the tonsils and adenoids
Abscess around the tonsil (Peritonsillar abscess)
Suspicion of malignant tumor
Adenoid and tonsil growths that disrupt the jaw structure.
What happens during tonsillectomy?
Any surgery, no matter how common or seemingly simple, is often frightening for the child and the parents. You can help your child prepare for surgery by telling him what to expect.

In tonsillectomy:

Your child will be put to sleep under general anesthesia. This means that the surgery will be performed in an operating room and your child will be monitored by an anesthesiologist during the surgery.
Your child will sleep for about 20-30 minutes
The surgeon will remove the tonsils from inside your child’s mouth. There is no need to make an incision in the skin for tonsillectomy.
The surgeon will remove the tonsils by making some incisions and stop the bleeding.
Your child will wake up in the recovery room. If there are signs of breathing difficulty or bleeding, you may need to be taken back to the operating room. Generally, the total hospital stay is between 5-10 hours. Children who have not started drinking enough liquid food, are under the age of 3, and have a persistent illness such as fainting spells will stay in the hospital overnight.
Any surgery, no matter how common or seemingly simple, is often frightening for the child and the parents. You can help your child prepare for surgery by telling him what to expect.
In tonsillectomy:

Your child will be put to sleep under general anesthesia. This means that the surgery will be performed in an operating room and your child will be monitored by an anesthesiologist during the surgery.
Your child will sleep for about 20-30 minutes
The surgeon will remove the tonsils from inside your child’s mouth. There is no need to make an incision in the skin for tonsillectomy.
The surgeon will remove the tonsils by making some incisions and stop the bleeding.
Your child will wake up in the recovery room. If there are signs of breathing difficulty or bleeding, you may need to be taken back to the operating room.

Generally, the total hospital stay is between 5-10 hours. Children who have not started drinking enough liquid food, are under the age of 3, and have a persistent illness such as fainting spells will stay in the hospital overnight.
What should we pay attention to after tonsillectomy?
Foods:

On the day of surgery, your child should consume watery foods (e.g. water, milk, non-citrus fruit juices, pudding, pudding, yoghurt, ice cream).
The day following the surgery, in addition to the above, mashed potatoes softened with milk
On the second and third days following the surgery, in addition to the above, you can eat soft vegetable dishes, pasta and rice.
Starting from the fourth day, he can switch to his normal diet, excluding hard foods that may irritate the throat, such as bread slices, biscuits and chips.

Medicines:

Use the pain medication recommended by your doctor regularly and for the recommended duration. Do not use antibiotics or other medications unless recommended by your doctor.

Bath:

Your child can take a bath the day after the surgery, as long as it is not too hot or too long.

School:

Do not send your child to school within the time recommended by your doctor. This period may be between 5-10 days.

Sport:

Sports activities should be restricted for two weeks.

Improvement:

The area where the tonsils are located remains an open wound after the surgery. For this reason, your child may complain of sore throat and ear pain when swallowing. If you look at your child’s throat, you will see that the area where the tonsils are located is white-yellow. This appearance is not due to inflammation and will last for 15-20 days. The surgery area will then be covered with a pink tissue similar to that inside the mouth.

Bleeding:

Bleeding after tonsillectomy that requires reintervention is rare. The risk of bleeding is highest in the first 24 hours. If fresh blood comes from the mouth or your child vomits dark-colored digested clots, call your doctor immediately. Although it is even more rare, the second risky period in terms of bleeding is around 10 days following the surgery.