Tonsillectomy is the third most common surgery performed on children in the United States—but it's actually far less common than it was in the 50s when entire classrooms of students would get their tonsils taken out at school.
Starting in the 70s, doctors began to feel that the post-op pain and potential (although small) risks of surgery weren't warranted for the minimal improvement in length and duration of sore throat symptoms associated with occasional tonsillitis. Until recently, surgery was reserved for patients who had four or more infections in a single year.
In January of this year, the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery issued new guidelines recommending that before kids become candidates for surgery they should have at least:
- Seven episodes of tonsillitis or strep in a single year, or
- Five episodes each year for two years, or
- Three episodes annually for three years
The guidelines further recommend that episodes should be documented by a doctor, rather than just reported by parents.
Same Surgery—For New Conditions
While the number of tonsillectomies for recurrent infections is decreasing, tonsillectomies performed to treat breathing difficulties, snoring and sleep apnea now account for 80% of the roughly 530,000 tonsillectomies performed on children each year.
That trend is likely to continue according to the new guidelines. Research shows that children with obstructive sleep problems or sleep apnea often suffer from bed-wetting, poor school performance, and behavior problems associated with a lack of sleep. Children who have tonsillectomies to correct this medical condition typically experience fewer and/or less severe symptoms following surgery.
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