[Faline]

There are various ways to perform a tonsillectomy, ranging from a tonsillectomy under local anesthesia, which is carried out while the patient is awake in a sitting or semi-sitting position, to tonsillectomy under general anesthesia, where the patient is fully asleep. The surgical techniques and instruments also vary according to the surgeon's training and preference. Some surgeons still use the scalpel and snare, others use the coblator and some use the electric knife (Bovie electrocautery). Blood vessels are electrocoagulated / coblated, tied or sutured.
A common denominator to all these techniques is the dissection of the tonsillar capsule away from the surrounding muscles and achieving good hemostasis. With the popular use of electrocautery and coblation, blood loss has been reduced to a few milliliters and even to no bleeding at all. With no blood in the pharynx and no swallowed blood in the stomach, patients recover much better from anesthesia and vomit less. In addition, the use of coblation is becoming more popular because it seems to cause less post-operative pain.

In the picture below, the patient is in the Rose position (neck hyperextended and nasopharynx most dependent). A McIvor mouth gag props the mouth open and keeps the anesthesia endotracheal tube away from the surgical field. The right tonsil has been dissected with the coblator and retracted medially over the uvula. Note the dry tonsillar bed and total absence of blood in the field. The tonsil is finally severed from its attachement to the posterior pillar and removed.

[Faline]

Tonsillectomy scar, several years later.

[collaredgirl65]

[Spiffyfable]

If I understand correctly... they don't do that procedure a whole lot anymore

[Jere]

[ChristySD]

Originally Posted by Spiffyfable ↗

If I understand correctly... they don't do that procedure a whole lot anymore

ENT's try not to unless a patient (usually a small child) has constant sinus infections (or associated illnesses). Tonsils are like the friend you really don't want to invite to a party with your other friends, but they are there when you have ABSOLUTELY no one to hang with. They cut em' out when they start to fuck up! Hope that made SOME sense!

[Wiggly]

I had mine out 2 summers ago, after a life times of bad sore throats, stupid mother that never took me to the doc, about 15 yrs of tonsils stones that I was to embarrassed to go ask the doc about, finally went to see the specialist, he took one look and said you have had chronic tonsillitis your whole life!! And they need to be taken out ASAP!! He also asked me how my breathing was and I said pretty stuffy. So I got my tonsils and adenoids out. Worst fucking thing ever!! I would have rather had another baby!!! The older you get the more difficult recovery is, I massive bled the night of the day I got them out, spent 2 nights in the hospital over that, it took almost 2 months before I could eat any solid food, lost 15 lbs in 2 weeks.

[mintycbo]

Had mine removed spring 2010...was 30 yrs old..had an option to get them out when I was 10..should have..problems with them the whole time..one night looked in mirror while i had a sore throat..seen tonsil stones/cheese..went to E.R. ..they sent me to a ENT.
I don't know if they took my adenoids or not..said they were going to. Mine were cobalated. got home from surgery, looked in mirror and had two char black patches where my tonsils were. Was a fun 2 weeks, gave me liquid vicodin..four 150 ml bottles of it...didn't hurt as bad as I was told it would or would have thought considering my age.
Still..needed the pain meds..otc NSAIDs would not have cut it..lol

[Sharon]

My husband had his out in his early 30s and it was the worst night of his life. So much pain and bleeding - they were small and healthy tissue was gouged out. Whole thing was quite ridiculous!

[therezamackenzie]

I had chronic tonsil stones and tonsilitis, saw an ENT and had mine out. It was horrible, but totally worth it. I now have tiny little buds that have grown there, but they dont seem to be getting any bigger. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with a low pain tolerance.