Tonsils. What are they good for? Absolutely NOTHING?

i had mine out at 23 or so. I had constant ear infections before, and colds. It was only for the best. Either I had a great doctor, or was lucky, but the whole procedure lasted less than 5 minutes, if that, local anesthesia only. Sure it hurt for about 2 weeks after, but it was well worth it. I rarely get sick these days.

Five minutes with only a local? My cousin was out like a light and in the hospital for two days... 25 years ago. Good to know things have changed, but I'll let the doctor be the one to tell her if she's only going to get local anesthesia.

Was yours a full tonsillectomy or intracapsular where they leave a small layer of tonsil tissue? That kind is supposedly a quicker recovery.

nah, it was full. i got to stay in the hospital for four days (that's in Slovakia, they do that)...but here in the States you get to go home right away unless there are complications. There really was no reason for me to stay, but I did enjoy it. It was fun, if you can imagine. People came to visit, doctors and nurses were young and fun, I had a great roommate... highly recommended

She can just expect to stay at home for about two weeks and she shouldn't strain her voice for about a month (which was an issue for me, being a trainer etc...)

Start collecting recipes for anything that involves puree or mashed stuff.

I had never had tonsil infections as a kid and started getting them when I was 18 or 19. The docters to this day still refuse to remove them. They have some stupid AMA approved formula for figuring out when they should be removed in adults and you have to have documented infections 6 times in 1 year, 4 times a year 2 years in a row or 3 times a year for 3 years in a row.

After several years of arguing with them I gave up and just deal with it on my own when it happens now.

The excuse I was given was that removing them in adults has a high risk of the person getting phenumonia during the recovery period. My understanding is that phenumonia, while not fun, can be cured fairly successfully so I'd be willing to take the risk of getting it one time if it meant I didn't have to go through this BS twice a year.

You may have a doc that's willing to do it. If so, go for it while you can...

well, i'm sure they have some function. Mine had a large strep factory in them, so they had to go. But if they're healthy, i'm sure doctors would not want to remove them, since in that case, likely, they are not the cause of illnesses. Something else might be...?

Squinney I had mine out at 19 under local anaesthetic. I was in the hospital for 4 days I think (but this was almost 30 years ago and I'll bet they boot you out sooner now). The post operative painkillers were kind of fun.

Since I was a "grownup" I checked myself in to the hospital and my mom came after work to see that everything was okay. Due to crowding the only bed available was in the OB/GYN ward. The first thing my mom sees getting off the elevator is a glass wall full of babies! Her first words to me? "Tell me it's really your tonsils..."

Not apropo to current operation procedures, but -

There was some change in the medical world's views of taking tonsils out between when I was a child and now. I had mine out along with adenoids in a general anaesthesia procedure when I was seven. Routine for those days.

When I worked as an admitting clerk and reservations clerk in a hospital when I was in my late teens, full batteries of T & A's came through the hospital doors regularly. (That was in, say, 1960 or so).

Somewhere between then and now, it stopped being routine - I think.

It's been years since I studied what different organs are good for, and haven't googled it now (yet) but I seem to remember something about tonsils being of little value after some amount of time for warding off infection. (after toddlerhood?) Maybe I'm mixing that up with the thymus gland, heh.

In any case, it's almost six decades since I had my tonsils out and I've been relatively lucky about getting colds, flus, ear infections, sinus infections, pneumonias... so, on an anecdotal basis, having tonsils out didn't seem to harm this one person.

Now that I've typed what little I know, I'll go check google...

Kylie wouldn't mind that at all. She'd LOVE being on the baby ward.

Her sore throats are pretty well documented. If they don't have a major function past a certain age I guess I'll need to search for a sympathetic doctor.

What I'm reading indicates their main function is important when one is young, under five or six, but less necessary as immunity is built through exposure to the world.

Good, that fits with my fuzzy memory about tonsils.

You do anecdotely, osso, seem right about the less frequent removal. All of my friends seemed to have theirs removed in the 60's to early 70's. I can think of only one of my childrens friends that have had theirs removed, 90's to now, but MANY that had tubes in their ears. Maybe there has been an increase in ear tubes during that time that helped cut down on tonsil problems by creating better drainage system?

This has been, 100%, exactly my experience.

Do you snore? I'm reading that they may be more willing to remove them for sleep apnea in adults.

I'm not finding any connection to the mono, but that was when hers started. She had been healthy prior to that.

I would also like to know what the adenoids do. I heard if you have sinusitis problems, the removal of the adenoids can help.