Overview

This surgery removes your tonsils. These two glands are found in the throat. They help fight infection. But in some people, the tonsils can get infected frequently. They can swell so large that they block airflow, especially during sleep. Removing the tonsils can fix these problems.

Preparation

To begin, you're given medicine to put you to sleep. We put a guard in your mouth to protect your teeth. It also holds your mouth open for the surgery.

Removing the tonsils

Now we remove your tonsils. There are several ways to do this. We can use a scalpel or other cutting tool to trim the tonsils away from the wall of the throat. Or, we can use a device that cuts tissue in some other way. These devices use things like heat, vibrations, laser light or radiofrequency waves. We seal the blood vessels to prevent bleeding. Sometimes we may need to use sutures to do this.

End of procedure

When it's done, we watch you closely as you wake up. Your throat will be sore for several days. Follow your care instructions for a safe recovery.