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Who Performs an Adenoidectomy?

An adenoidectomy, which is performed by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor, is the surgical removal of the adenoid glands. The surgery is usually done on children to remove the small lumps of tissue located in the back of the throat. Also called adenoid removal, it is often done in conjunction with the removal of tonsils.

  1. Purpose of the Operation

    • Adenoids may block breathing, cause earaches or loss of hearing. Usually, adenoids can become infected and become inflamed in children between the ages of 2 and 6. Adenoids are often removed for these reasons or when children have trouble swallowing or if there's a tumor in the throat or nasal passage. An operation where the tonsils and adenoids are removed is called a T&A (tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy). The American Academy of Otolaryngology (or ENT) suggest the operation if children have seven sore throats in one year, five sore throats in each of two years or three sore throats in each of three years.

    Symptoms of Adenoiditis

    • Symptoms of adenoiditis include snoring often, episodes of not breathing during sleep, breathing through the mouth, noisy breathing, frequent colds, coughing, bad breath and nasal speech. These symptoms, however, can occur gradually or suddenly and vary depending on the cause of the infection.

    Diagnosis

    • Adenoiditis is diagnosed by a doctor to determine if the adenoids need to be removed. This is done by checking the patient's medical history, through a physical exam and by analyzing throat bacterial cultures, X-rays and blood tests.

    Procedure

    • On the day before the surgery, which is usually conducted in the morning, the patients should not have had anything to eat or drink after midnight. An operating room nurse checks the patient's blood pressure and pulse before they go into surgery. The surgeon removes the adenoids while the patient is under general anesthesia so that no pain is felt. The adenoids are usually removed through the mouth but sometimes, through the nose. Different instruments are used to remove the adenoids depending on the procedure. After the operation, the patient stays in the recovery room until she is awake. Most patients go home after several hours if there are no complications such as bleeding or increased pain.

    After the Procedure

    • After surgery, the doctor prescribes the patient with antibiotics which should be taken for about a week. Pain medication is also prescribed if the patient develops a sore throat or moderate pain at the back of the nose and throat, which lasts for about a week. Adequate rest at home for at least one week is advised to avoid infections, dehydration and fever. After full recovery, which usually takes about two weeks, the patient will have an easier time breathing through the nose and have fewer and milder sore throats and ear infections.

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