Tonsil surgery, who needs to undergo?

Tonsil surgery or tonsillectomy is a procedure to remove the part of the tonsils that are inflamed (tonsillitis). This operation is often performed on children because of chronic inflammation of the tonsils or recurrence. However, not all cases of tonsillitis require surgery. If your child is going to have a tonsillectomy, it is best to know well what the procedure looks like, side effects, and post-operative care.

What is a tonsillectomy?

Tonsil surgery, also known as tonsillectomy, aims to treat tonsillitis or inflammation of the tonsils or tonsils.

In most cases tonsillitis can be cured with antibiotics for sore throat. However, if the condition worsens and becomes chronic, the patient is advised to undergo tonsillectomy.

The tonsils themselves are a pair of glands located at the back of the throat. The tonsils are part of the immune system so they can fight viral and bacterial infections that enter through the mouth.

Therefore, the tonsils are also more susceptible to infection by these pathogens when the immune system is down. When infected, the tonsils usually appear red, swollen, and sore in the throat.

When should tonsillectomy be performed?

Treatment of tonsillitis does not always require surgical removal of the tonsils. Tonsillectomy will be recommended by the doctor when tonsillitis recurs even to the point of making it difficult for the sufferer to breathe.

According to the American Family of Physician study, there are certain conditions that require a person to perform tonsillectomy, namely:

• Tonsil infection keeps happening.
• Other causes of problems such as sleep apnea, which is a common disorder in which the like to stop breathing many times a night.
• Surgery will be performed, if the area around your tonsils becomes infected and forms a pocket of pus, it is called a peritonsil abscess.
• The doctor will recommend surgery if the tonsillitis medication is no longer able to treat the bacteria.
• The presence of tumors on the tonsils, although this condition is rare.

Before performing surgery, your doctor may ask you to weigh the impact of removing the tonsils on changes in quality of life.

For example, tonsillectomy is performed because the recurrent inflammation of the tonsils interferes with children's school activities. Likewise, adults may wish to have a tonsillectomy because recurrent tonsillectomy causes sleep disturbances that reduce the quality of their sleep.

How is the tonsillectomy procedure performed?

Tonsillectomy or tonsil removal can be performed in two methods. However, the method more frequently used is bipolar diathermy dissection. This method can reduce the risk of post-operative bleeding.

Bipolar diarthemic dissection method was performed using forcep electrically to close the blood vessels between the tonsils and the muscles around them. Then, the tonsils will be removed one by one. This method is done to completely remove the tonsils and ensure that no tonsil tissue is left behind.

Another tonsillectomy method is the intracapsular method. This tonsil surgery uses probe electrically to break down and destroy proteins in the tonsil tissue.

Probe This contains a salt solution that is heated with an electric current, so it can destroy the glands in the lining of the tonsils. Intracapsular tonsillectomy carries less risk of damaging the muscles and blood vessels around the tonsils.

Side effects and bleeding after tonsillectomy

Every surgical procedure has its own risks, as well as tonsillectomy. To reduce post-operative pain, your doctor will usually give you a pain reliever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

A common side effect after surgery is bleeding. Meanwhile, if it lasts long term, it can cause complications of blood clots in the deep veins (deep vein thrombosis or DVT).

Well, after performing tonsillectomy, sometimes bleeding continues. This small bleeding generally occurs right after surgery or about 1 week during recovery.

There are two types of bleeding that can occur after tonsillectomy, namely primary and secondary bleeding. This type of bleeding is differentiated based on the cause and time of bleeding.

1. Primary bleeding

Primary bleeding is a type of bleeding that occurs within 24 hours of tonsillectomy. This bleeding is associated with the main arteries connected to the tonsils.

If the tissue around the tonsils is not completely closed by sutures, this will lead to bleeding in the arteries. This condition is usually accompanied by vomiting of blood and bleeding from the mouth or nose.

2. Secondary bleeding

If the bleeding occurs 24 hours after the tonsillectomy is performed, it is called secondary bleeding. This type of bleeding is usually caused by loose stitch marks after tonsillectomy.

The stitch marks will begin to come off 5-10 days after surgery. This is a normal process and usually causes some bleeding.

When you find a lot of saliva mixed with blood, then immediately consult a doctor. Watch for other signs and symptoms of bleeding which include:

• Red blood from the mouth or nose
• Feels swallowing a lot of blood, causing the mouth to feel metallic
• Swallow frequently
• Vomiting bright red or brown blood. Brown blood is old blood that looks like coffee grounds.

It is important to watch out, post-operative bleeding that lasts more than 5 days should get emergency medical attention. The reason is, the tonsil tissue is located near the main arteries. When an artery is injured there will be large and dangerous bleeding.

What is the proper care after a tonsillectomy?

If you find dry blood spots in your saliva less than 5 days after surgery, this is considered light bleeding and is nothing to worry about. Immediately drink plenty of water and get enough rest to stop the bleeding.

As a first step, immediately rinse your mouth with cold water to help prevent bleeding. Also, keep your head in an elevated position to reduce bleeding.

Good food to eat after tonsillectomy

During the post-tonsillectomy recovery, your throat may feel a little uncomfortable, sore or may bleed. This makes the throat sore when you swallow food. Even though you still have to get adequate nutrition so that you recover quickly.

The following are recommendations for foods that are good for consumption after tonsillectomy to speed up recovery:

• Ice cream and pudding is a cold, soft food that can reduce the burning or burning sensation in the throat. Both also help prevent bleeding in the operated tonsils.
• Water, apple juice, and soup broth easier to swallow, helps reduce postoperative nausea, and meets fluid requirements thereby preventing the risk of dehydration.
• Scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes and vegetables which is cooked until soft can be consumed without adding a lot of seasoning.

Foods to avoid after tonsillectomy

To speed up recovery, avoid foods or drinks that have a hard texture, taste sour, spicy, and are hot.

• Nuts, chips, or popcorn can irritate the lining of the throat and increase pain in the area where the tonsils were operated on.
• Foods high in citric acid like tomatoes, oranges, and lemons can make your throat feel itchy and sore.
• Soft drink can make throat pain worse and irritate the lining around the tonsils.

If you want to eat or drink something hot, let it cool until it is lukewarm. The reason is, hot temperatures can actually trigger irritation and inflammation of the throat. Instead of getting better quickly, you have to endure a worse sore throat when you eat.

Tonsillectomy is needed to treat recurrent tonsillitis, which can reduce the quality of life of the sufferer.

This procedure is effective in treating the disorder, but still has side effects and a risk of complications. You can reduce your risk of complications by following your doctor's recommendations for pre-and post-operative care.