I’m not looking for QtM type medical advice (although he does rock!) as much as I am experiences other dopers have had with the removal of adenoids and tonsils in children. My almost 4 year old son has a history of nasal problems and ear infections, x-rays and exams over the past 2 years confirm that both his adenoids and tonsils are growing but in the doctors words he is a ‘borderline’ case. He clearly has a problem but not to the “you gotta get ‘em out now” stage. The wife and I are struggling with the decision of whether he should have this done now or if we should wait until summer if over and see if things get better. Our Otolaryngologist is not pushing for the surgery at all but he’s also not suggesting we hold off. His opinion is that surgery would definitely help but it is not absolutely necessary. I hate for my child to suffer with continued infections and worse, speech development problems he has had since the beginning. I also would hate for my child to undergo surgery when the benefits may not be that great.
I’m basically hoping other dopers could share their experiences with this procedure (or particularly their children) and if they results have been favorable. Any and all opinions are appreciated.
I had it done when I was about 12. Before having it done, I had bad strep throat and tonsilitus about twice a year, every year. I haven’t had either since (I’m 33 now). I don’t remember the surgery being particularly traumatizing - the pain after the first day or two was pretty much just like my bad sore throats I’d get.
I had my adenoids out when I was ~6. I was having problems breathing through my nose. It seems to have helped me, but I still can’t breath through my nose 100% of the time.
I don’t remember it hurting at all after the surgery, in fact I liked the hopital so much I didn’t want to go home. That was 22 years ago, and I’m sure technology has improved since then.
When I was 8 I had strep throat six times in one winter. After that my doc decided it was time to chop out my tonsils. I also had serious nasal infections, with almost 100% blockage, and ear problems. I’ve had both my tonsils and adenoids out.
My strep throat when I was a kid was awful. It was difficult to breathe, and I could hardly eat anything because my throat felt like it had been scrubbed raw with a brillo pad. Also, my tonsils were about the size of golf balls, and solid food became problematic to swallow. Not to mention the nasty white chunks of god-only-knows-what that would accumulate and have to be fished out by hand in a gag-inducing maneuver. Needless to say it wasn’t pleasant.
If you want to know about my sinus infections I’ve got two words: roto-rooter. Saline sprays and medication failed to give me any relief, so it finally came down to two giant q-tips dipped in novacaine and decongestant. I’ll leave the rest up to your imagination. Ugh.
The surgery recovery itself was nothing compared to the strep throat. My throat hurt and I was a little groggy for a couple days, but I felt back to normal by the end of the week. I got to drink as much lukewarm koolaid and jello as I could stand, and my voice was a little hoarse for a few days as well. The most traumatic part for me was getting the I.V. needle put in. That damned thing hurt! (But at least I got a little bunny-ear bandaid!)
Since then I’ve not had a serious sore throat infection, sinus infection nor any problems related to it.
I would suggest that if your child’s nose/ear/throat problems are causing him a lot of grief and if they’re more frequent than once per year you seriously consider both operations. I can’t imagine having to deal with being that sick all the time now. I’m very glad my parents had it done.
My grandfather had that done. He swore that after the procedure his head was so clear that on very cold days if he inhaled deeply the air would freeze the back of his brain!
I’ve had my tonsils removed three times. Apparently, when this is done in very young children, doctors only take out what’s infected, and not all the tonsil tissue, which remains and can be reinfected. So first surgery was at four, second at six, and third at 37.
My daughter, on the other hand, had sleep apnea and trouble swallowing, then began to lose some of her hearing. She had her tonsils removed and was a whole new kid by the next day, with no problems since.
I had my tonsils and adenoids out around age 10. Prior to that I had infections all the time, it was miserable. I’ve only had maybe one throat infection since then. I, too, hated the i.v. needle part mainly because they had to put it in my hand-I have lousy veins. My throat was really sore for a few days afterwards. It was hard to swallow and I couldn’t speak for a bit, which actually was the worst part… see, I’d gone to the hospital on Easter Sunday so I couldn’t yell at my brothers to keep away from my basket.
I had mine out when i was 14, it was relatively painless and for the first time ever I didn’t spend the whole winter breathing though my mouth. Whoohoo!
I had my tonsils and adenoids out when I was five. They should probably have come out earlier, as I was one of those kids whose bits got so big that they blocked my eustacian tubes so I almost went deaf, and I couldn’t breathe through my nose much past the age of 2 until my surgery. I had constant colds and ear infections. By the time my parents bit the bullet and asked my grandparents for the money (no health insurance), I was pretty close to substantial permanent damage. I still have hearing loss.
As far as the operation itself, that’s one of my strange pseudo-psychic experiences. The night before my surgery, I had a dream that I was having the surgery and I woke up in the middle of it. When I woke up that morning, I told my mom about it and she said, “Oh, it was just a dream. They will make sure you sleep through the whole thing.” I told the doctor about it and he said much the same thing. He probably just thought I was anxious. But as it turns out, the anesthesiologist didn’t give me enough sleep juice, because I did wake up in the middle of the operation, and they had to give me more. The doctor said he’d never seen anything like it.
Oh, and post-op, my incidence of ear infections and colds went way down, and I regained some of my hearing. My throat was sore for a few days and I got to eat ice cream, which was a big treat. It was no big deal.
Good thread. My tonsils get infected at least once each winter, and I’m tired of it, and considering surgery. I’ve had tonsilitis for the past week, and I want it to stop.
I had my tonsils & adenoids out just after I turned 6, in 1976.
I had had a chronic case of strep throat that made me miss almost half of kindergarten. So to the hospital I went. It was supposed to be - surgery in the morning, stay overnight, home the next day.
I apparently had some sort of bad reaction to the anaesthesia and had to stay for 4 days, puking my guts out the whole time. Not pleasant after throat surgery. I was allowed to go home when I could keep food down for a whole day.
And they never gave me ice cream - just nasty beef broth, juice and water.
At one point I got very excited because I thought I was going to get a Coke (we didn’t get soda very often at home) but it turned out my mom was just telling the doctor she would “coax me” to drink more juice.
So I spent the Bicentennial very miserable. I did get out of the hospital in time to go to the big parade, though.
I haven’t had strep since 1976, though I continued to have recurrent ear infections until puberty, and am now deaf in one ear. The ear infections went away shortly after I lost hearing in my left ear. They must have finally accomplished their mission?
They wouldn’t let my sister in to visit me, but I had a ground-floor room, so my dad figured out which window was mine and he and my sister climbed through the shrubbery so she could wave at me through the window. That part was nice.
