tell me about getting tonsils and adenoids out...

[Anonymous]

Took my 3 yo (almost 4) son to the ENT today and they recommended tubes + tonsil and adenoid removal. Has anyone been through this? How bad is the recovery week? Was the outcome worth it?

His tonsils are massive and he snores +gets sick all the time (colds, strep and ear infections). He also just seems sickly -- he seems skinnier and more pale and sluggish than usual. I'm hoping this is a cure-all, but would love to hear others' perspectives.

thanks!

[Anonymous]

My experience was almost exactly the same. There was really no choice - my DD was choking on her food and snoring like an old man.

Super easy experience - in and out in about 2 hours. The scariest part was putting my baby under and then how out of it she was when she woke up, but she was back to herself within a couple of hours and pain management was pretty easy.

Within a few days I was having to hold her back from running around (she was supposed to take it easy). It was a great decision.

[Anonymous]

I have had 2 kids that had tonsils and adenoids removed. They were 6 and 9 years old. Both had sleep apnea. You don’t want your child to develop sleep apnea as they get older so getting them out before they are school age is critical.

The surgery was life changing for both children but I won’t pretend it is painless or without risk. The 6 year old had bleeding complications a few days after surgery and had to go under anesthesia again to cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding. There were no problems after that. It is rare but it happens. My kid would not take pain medication or drink fluids which is why there were bleeding problems.

The first few days after surgery is very painful and you will have a very cranky and irritable child that won’t want to eat or drink. If you can get the child to take pain relievers around the clock and drink fluids regularly, they will likely be fine. My older child had an easier recovery but was more aware of what was happening so was more scared.

Your child is young and probably won’t remember it. Kids that age typically stay overnight for monitoring.

Definitely get it done. I didn’t hesitate to have my older kid get surgery even though my other child with complications had it performed first.

[Anonymous]

My DD had it done at 5YO and it was much easier than I expected. Recovery was fine and she had no problems drinking and eating soft foods as appropriate. We stayed on top of the pain meds the first few days but she never really complained about the pain. She was bouncing off the walls after a few days so we sent her back to school a little early. Was 100% worth it. She is now 10YO has not had strep since then and no snoring!

[Anonymous]

I had my adenoids out at maybe 4, and tonsils out at 17. I was sick basically every month in between. Didn't have strep or a cold for the next 20 years until I had little kids.

[Anonymous]

My oldest had his removed when he was 4, and we are going to have to do the same with my youngest who is 6 (we are probably a year behind getting it done due to COVID). Similar symptoms for both: enlarged tonsils and adenoids, snoring, terrible quality of sleep. My youngest has also been getting sick a lot this past year. I had the surgery myself when I was 8 and I remember the operating room, the mask, and how much my throat hurt afterward.

As a mom, I was really nervous about my child going under general anesthesia but our ENT and the staff at Children's were wonderful. I walked with my child into the OR (wearing surgical clothes), helped him up on the table, and stood next to him holding his hand when they put the mask on him. He was out within 10 seconds and then I left. I felt some comfort knowing that I was the last thing he saw before he went under. This was pre-Covid, so I'm not sure if any of this is still allowed. The entire procedure only lasted maybe 20-30 minutes. Watching him come out of the anesthesia was a little rough--he was disoriented and combative. It didn't last long, though. He didn't have any post-surgery complications and seemed to be back to his normal self after a few days.

I have no hesitation with my youngest having the procedure. She is meeting with the doctor this week, in fact.

[Anonymous]

Literally the best thing ever. Both of my kids had it done between ages 3 and 4 and it was life changing for them. Had all the same issues as your DC.

Surgery is scary of course but it really wasn’t that bad. Recovery was pretty quick and it just made such a difference in their health.

[Anonymous]

Please do it. As an adult who suffers from enlarged tonsils snoring and stones I wish my parents had mine removed. Now doctors won't or say they will but I risk bleeding to death as an adult

[Anonymous]

Our child's had it done at 2.5 (and they are a young adult now, so maybe there have been some changes in the past 20 years!).

Agree that the hardest part is being part of putting your child under - awful. Our recovery wasn't quite as easy as some others make it seem. In fact, our ENT said it would be one week of hell, and I remember going back for the follow-up and telling him that was an understatement. Our child was alternating between Tylenol with codeine and Demerol every couple of hours.

And, the sirgery was life-changing. From sleep issues to hearing issues to breathing issues, it really was life-changing. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again