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When to Remove the Tonsils?

According to Dr. Charles D. Bluestone, director of the pediatric otolaryngology department at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the guideline when to remove the tonsils are: “Seven episodes of tonsillitis in one year, or at least five episodes for each of the past two years, or at least three episodes in each of the last three years.”

He added also, “But this doesn’t mean you never remove a child’s tonsils with only four or five episodes a year. If the child has been admitted to the hospital a few times or has a severe complication to streptococcal throat infection, you might consider a tonsillectomy.”

If a child has loud snoring with obstructive sleep apnea removing the tonsils and adenoids are also indicated. In a child with craniofacial anatomical abnormality affecting the breathing or swallowing sometimes the tonsils and adenoids should be removed.

[Reference: Infectious Diseases in Children, November 2002, page 38]

Comment: Get a second opinion from an ENT or Otolaryngologist if you child has frequent tonsillitis, loud snoring, or trouble swallowing with big tonsils.

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Leo Leonidas, MD, FAAP, Assistant Clinical Professor in Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston; Attending Pediatrician, Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor, Maine

Please send my your suggestions and comments to improve this site:

lleonidas@pcpediatrics.org

I wrote and desinged this website for parents of our practice. Before you use ideas from this website, please discuss it first with your clinician if you are not with our practice.

copyright Leo Leonidas 2002

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