Tonsillectomy
Alternate Names : Palatine Tonsillectomy, Lingual Tonsillectomy
What happens later at home?
After a tonsillectomy, a person should drink enough liquid to avoid dehydration and to keep the throat moist.
While a few people can eat a fairly normal diet right away, most people are
comfortable with a limited variety of beverages and soft foods. Some foods
should be avoided, including:
acidic or sour beverages, such as tomato or citrus juices, which may cause
more pain to the throat
very hot or spicy foods, which can also cause pain
rough or scratchy foods, which should be avoided for at least 10 days.
These foods may knock the scabs off in the back part of the throat and cause
severe bleeding.Pain medications should be limited to
those prescribed or recommended by the surgeon. Aspirin products must be avoided after tonsillectomy because of
the possibility of bleeding.
What are the potential complications after the procedure?
Most cases of hemorrhage, or bleeding, after tonsillectomy occur in the first 5
to 7 days after surgery. This bleeding should be reported immediately to the
surgeon, who may use electrocautery to stop it. A hemorrhage may be the first
sign that the person has an overall bleeding problem.
The pain from a tonsillectomy is usually most intense in the first 48 hours
after surgery. It starts to ease off but may worsen again 4 to 6 days after
surgery. The second peak of pain is often accompanied by severe ear pain. Usually there is nothing wrong
with the ears. The pain just happens to radiate at this point in the recovery.
The scabs in the back of the throat often lead to a foul taste in the mouth
accompanied by very bad breath. Antibiotics may help with this problem.
A successful tonsillectomy makes the symptoms disappear. After the
surgery, strep throat infections
are quite rare. Removal of the tonsils in children cures about 95% of sleep apnea cases. Someone who has had
difficulty swallowing because of enlarged
tonsils can usually swallow normally after recovery. A person with cancer may need other surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.
|