Partial Tonsil Removal May Have Better Outcomes Than Full Tonsillectomy

For many years, the recommended treatment for sleep disordered breathing was a full tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.  This involved taking out the whole tonsil and exposing the pain fibres in the muscle that surrounds the tonsil.  There was also a bleeding rate of 2-4%.  Although these bleeds were often minor, in some cases they could be more significant, requiring a return to the operating theatre, blood transfusion or in extremely rare cases, fatality.  The pain following a tonsillectomy is also not insignificant.  Although most children are feeling better within a week, some children still have minor degrees of discomfort after ten days or even two weeks following surgery.  Many of us adults can remember what it was like having our tonsils out.  If we can minimise such pain, then from a psychological point of view, that is not something that could be regarded as insignificant.

Using new technology, it is now possible to shrink the tonsils down rather than taking the whole tonsil out.  This allows the obstruction to be bypassed and yet does not expose the pain fibres or the blood vessels which cause the major issues associated with a tonsillectomy.  The same technology can also be used to shrink the adenoids.  This again seems to reduce the bleeding risk following adenoid surgery.  In our 10 year audit, bleeding rates were approximately one third that of a total tonsillectomy.  Others in the UK have found an even bigger reduction.