Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy

Excerpt

In the United States, tonsillectomy is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures. Over 500,000 cases are performed annually in children less than 15 years of age. Two common reasons for this surgery are sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and recurrent throat infections. Several complications are documented with tonsillectomy and include, bleeding, velopharyngeal insufficiency, and dehydration. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the definition of tonsillectomy is a “surgical procedure performed with or without adenoidectomy that completely removes the tonsil, including its capsule, by dissecting the peritonsillar space between the tonsil capsule and the muscular wall. Depending on the context in which it is used, it may indicate tonsillectomy with adenoidectomy, especially in relation to SBD.”