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The Dangers of an Adenoidectomy

An adenoidectomy involves the surgical removal of the adenoids, two masses of lymph tissue located above the tonsils. Adenoidectomies are usually performed on children who suffer from chronic adenoid infections or who have enlarged adenoids that interfere with breathing or sleep. An adenoidectomy is a relatively low risk operation, with bleeding one of the most common dangers.

  1. Bleeding

    • Post-surgical bleeding is a prime risk of an adenoidectomy. About 3 percent of patients suffer post-surgical bleeding, usually within two hours, according to the eye, ear nose and throat website ENT USA. But bleeding can occur any time during the one- to two-week healing process. In rare cases, the patient might need more surgery to stop the bleeding.

    Common Surgical Risks

    • As with all surgeries, adenoidectomy patients should expect some post-operative pain. Pain medications, either prescription or over-the-counter, can help. The surgical area also could become infected with bacteria. Surgeons will prescribe antibiotics to prevent an infection from taking hold. Other risks include fever and dehydration, since some patients might have difficulty swallowing at first.

    Speech Changes

    • A few patients--about 1 in 3,000--might notice that their voices sound more nasal, according to ENT USA. This change results when the soft palate, located far back in the roof of the mouth, fails to close off the nasopharnyx at the back of the nose. If the problem lasts more than four weeks, the patient might require surgery to repair the area.

    Other Rare Risks

    • Rare risks include nasopharyngeal stenosis, a condition in which scar tissue closes off the back part of the nose. The surgery also could result in chipped teeth caused by surgical instruments or burns from electrocautery tools used to remove the adenoidal tissue.

    Weight Gain

    • A 2009 study links the removal of adenoids and tonsils to weight gain in young children. Researchers at the Centre for Prevention and Heatlh Services Research in the Netherlands found that children who underwent either a tonsillectomy or an adenotonsillectomy (the removal of both the tonsils and adenoids) between birth and age 7 were more likely to be overweight at age 8.

    Death

    • Deaths resulting from an adenoidectomy are extremely rare and are linked to reactions to anesthetic or to massive hemorraghing. The Baltimore Anesthesia Study Committee reports that since the 1970s, the anesthesia-related mortality rate for children under 15 was one in 10,000.

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