Adult Tonsillectomy

[Ian]

Has anyone here had a tonsillectomy as an adult?

It's looking quite likely that I'll need one soon, as I've had so many bouts of tonsillitis - but I've heard that they're not much fun when you get them later in life. I'm sure it'll be worth it, but I'd be interested to hear if anyone here has had one as an adult.

 

[nivrip]

Had one when I was about 6 and can only remember having a soreness in my throat for about a day. I suppose kids do get over things more quickly.

If you're getting a lot of tonsillitis then surgery will be well worth it.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Sort of. Ten years ago I had my right tonsil removed along with my right lymph gland.The lymph gland was infected with cancer and the tonsil was removed along with it as a precaution.

Which is more surgery than you will probably experience, Ian. And I was considerably older even then than you are now.

I experienced some soreness including some slight pain in swallowing for 3 or 4 days but the experience was surprisingly comfortable, considering the extent of the surgery.

Of course surgery affects everybody differently but FWIW that was my experience.

As I understand it a standard tonsillectomoy doesn't require an external incision - correct?

My surgery required a quite extensive incision.

 

[EvanDavis]

I had mine out about 5 years ago. 46 now. Couple of days with an itchy throat and that was about it..

As I understand it a standard tonsillectomoy doesn't require an external incision - correct?

Correct. Now days they use one of them fancy laser things to cut them out which cauterize the tissue at the same time so no need for stitches.

 

[muckshifter]

at 14, way back when, it was considered a major operation, and, I was on an adults ward ... I dunno what all the fuss was about, my throat felt dry and a wee bit sore, I also had a girly voice for several weeks.

Oh, and lots of ice cream & jelly.

 

[Taffycat]

Sorry to hear about your throat problems @Ian. I had both tonsils and adenoids removed when I was about eleven years old and they still "cut and stitched" at that time. From @EvanDavis's much more recent experience, it sounds like the procedure is now much more straightforward.

Hope your bouts of tonsillitis will soon be history!

 

[Becky]

I had mine out about 5 years ago. 46 now. Couple of days with an itchy throat and that was about it..

That's good to know. The main issue of concern is that the doctors seem very hesitant about doing a tonsillectomy when you're an adult - apparently it carries a much higher risk than when you are a kid. Did you have to fight hard for it?

 

[EvanDavis]

Did you have to fight hard for it?

At first they didn't want to remove them, but then when I was getting sick and my tonsils were so swollen it almost made me choke in my sleep they decided it was a good idea to remove them.

 

[Ian]

Thanks for the info guys, I guess it's not so bad then . I've had so many bouts of it that I just want them out - fingers crossed that the doctor agrees!

 

[bootneck02]

Good luck with that Ian I have been lucky in my life so far and apart from crushed fingers when I was about 7 or 8 yo nothing else so I wish you luck.

 

[Abarbarian]

I also had a girly voice for several weeks.

Oh, and lots of ice cream & jelly.

Grand . Those were back in the days when the NHS was run properly. I remember loads of jelly and ice cream/condensed milk when I was in hospital at 5 with a busted cheek bone after being run over by a car.

Mind you in me last stint in hospital 14 days ago the food was pretty tastsy. I recon that is all down to that Jamie fella

Ian if you are planning an op then it would be wise to eat really good healthy food for a few weeks beforehand as anaesthetics knock the stuffing out of you and yer recovery time will be speeded up.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Mr Barbs, I think anaesthetics have improved somewhat since 1843

I had a long op when I was 15 and it took me about five days to recover.

In 2012 I had three bouts of surgery and in the space of a few hours afterwards was firing on all six again. In one instance I even went home the following day.

Yup, things have improved. In some areas anyway.

If anybody wants or needs surgery on the NHS my advice would be to get it now, as soon as you can, as there may come a time when the NHS is no more and we'll have to pay for a health care plan as in the USA, our NHS is slowly being destroyed by stealth.

 

[Abarbarian]

True anaesthetics have improved and recovery times are now shorter. You still feel the effects of them though. An the older you get the longer it takes to recover.

 

[Urmas]

Those were back in the days when...

... medicinal cognac was the norm.

 

[bootneck02]

Thats the way to go

 

[Ian]

... medicinal cognac was the norm

I've been using Whisky for my sore throat - it works a treat .

 

[Ian]

Got my tonsils out yesterday, hurrah! The pain isn't too bad at the moment, but I've got a huge stack of painkillers to get me though .

 

[bootneck02]

I hope you feel better soon Ian and able to take yodeling lessons soon

 

[EvanDavis]

Got my tonsils out yesterday, hurrah! The pain isn't too bad at the moment, but I've got a huge stack of painkillers to get me though .

Stock up on a few tubs of ice cream as well

 

[Becky]

Stock up on a few tubs of ice cream as well

Sadly he's lactose intolerant - or 'lactarded' as we like to call it