Return of the Undead Tonsils!

[AwSnappity]

Most of the people in my family have had tonsillectomies - 4 out of 5, to be exact. Tonight, both of my parents asked me to look down their throats to see if their tonsils were growing back. Of course, with my limited resources (a big magnifying glass with a light attached), I was unable to see any tonsils. My question is, can tonsils actually grow back after a tonsillectomy? My parents had their tonsils taken out before they were into their teen years, and they’re fiftyish now. If tonsils can grow back, is that a frequent occurance? I searched on WebMD and Google, and I couldn’t find anything. Thank you very much for your responses.

[MaceMan]

Yes, they can grow back. I read that this is not uncommon for people who had them removed many years ago. If any of the original lymphoid tissue is left when they are removed (on one site they called them “tonsil tags”), it can become reinfected and grow back.

I had my tonsils removed in April for chronic tonsillitis. About three weeks after surgery, I had what looked like a tonsil growing back on one side! My doctor said it could have been lympoid or granulated scar tissue. Luckily, another course of antibiotics shrunk it up. My ENT said that while he has removed tonsils from some adults who had them removed previously as children and then grew back, he has never seen this happen on any surgeries he performed.

Unfortunately, my throat is still sore…I think there is a slight infection remaining, and I have an appointment to see the ENT again for another course of antibiotics. However, I am much, much better than when I had those darn tonsils.

[MaceMan]

By the way, if you can’t see them without a magnifying glass, then they aren’t there But, you don’t need tonsils to have a throat infection (pharyngitis), and you should see a doctor if your sore throat remains after a week or two.

I’m 26. My advice to anyone with swollen, infected tonsils: go directly to an otolaryngologist, and don’t bother with your primary doctors if you actually want to get better. I wonder if I’d gone to the ENT first, if the infection could have been cleared before it got so bad surgery was necessary.

[choosybeggar]

*Originally posted by MaceMan *
**

I’m 26. My advice to anyone with swollen, infected tonsils: go directly to an otolaryngologist, and don’t bother with your primary doctors if you actually want to get better. I wonder if I’d gone to the ENT first, if the infection could have been cleared before it got so bad surgery was necessary. **

Of course, since ENT’s are surgeons that make their livings from doing surgery, you are more likely to get a tonsillectomy if you adopt this approach. Surgery is a vital therapy for many diseases, but there is considerable debate on whether tonsillectomy is indicated for chronic throat infections.

From an article in The British Journal of General Practice:

Tonsillectomy is most frequently carried out for recurrent throat infection, but there is uncertainty about its effectiveness. This paper reviews the evidence of its effectiveness obtained from a search of the Cochrane database and MEDLINE for randomized controlled trials comparing tonsillectomy with non-surgical management of recurrent throat infection. The results show that the effectiveness of a procedure such as tonsillectomy, needs to be considered in the light of its adverse effects. Attempts should be made to inform patients about the uncertainty surrounding the procedure.