Adenoidectomy + grommets - any stories/advice/experience?? Help please!

[CocktailQueen]

My 4.5 yo ds has to have grommets fitted and is on the waiting list.

Have just been rung by his hospital to say they have a cancellation on Monday coming and could he go in - but then she said that if he has to have an adenoidectomy as well (the consultant said they'd look at his adenoids under anaesthetic and take them out if necessary) then he'd be off school for 2 weeks!!!

Now he's just starting Reception on Tuesday so I really don't want him off school for the first weeks. And the consultant mentioned nothing about such a long recovery time after an adenoidectomy either! Gah.

So I wanted to ask, has anyone's LOs had the same op, and can you tell me about the recovery period/any helpful advice (diet etc), any after-effects - anything really!

It's bad enough worrying about ds starting school without worrying about an operation and GA as well! Argh.
Thanks!

MY DD2 had tonsil/adenoid/grommets and DS had adenoid/grommets done at about 5. They were in hospital overnight and had about 2 days at home after that. They were absolutely fine immediately post op and at home. They ate perfectly normally the same day.

I should think that if he is otherwise fit and healthy, he should be fine - DS attempted to milk the situation, but other than a new matchbox toy, that's all he got .

Both of them (and DD1) have had a fair few GAs between them, I think it's about 17/18 if I've counted right, and the grommets/adenoid removal really did transform their (and mine for that matter) lives.

Two weeks seems a long time to be off school though. 3 days including the op and a weekend were all that mine were off.

The reason for so long off school is to do with the removal of the adonoids and post op infections - my dd had hers out at 2.5 and had to stay off preschool for 3 weeks but after a few days was fine. Was the best thing we ever did and in the grand scheme of things starting school a few weeks late will not harm him in the slightest.

Both mine had their adenoid removed (one tonsils at the same time) and I was told that when were well enough, in my opinion, and jumping around like the loons they were, then back to school was fine. This was 10 and 12 years ago though, so perhaps things have changed enormously. I think 2 weeks sounds like a very long time and if anything, I should have thought that surgical procedures such as these will have advanced, not gone backwards

My daughter had hers done on a Thursday and was back to school the following Monday. She was really fit and well even the day after the op.

DS3 had adenoids done the last week of term. He was out the same day. As routine they give antibiotics as the main risk is catching an infection - not the op itself. He was running around that evening, but I kept him off the last week of school. All schools are hotbeds of infection, but I think sometimes these things have to be played by common sense after the op.
IMO - 2 weeks (or less) at the beginning of school will cause less disruption to your DS than 2 weeks later in the term.

My daughter had both done just over 3 weeks ago, she went in to hospital at 8am, she was youngest there (4) and went to surgery at 9am, we were home by 1pm!

She was very distressed about the cream on the hand, so they didn't pursue it and they did have to give her gas , which wasn't pleasant. But they said she wouldn't like either gas or injection, and she had to have something, which made me feel better!

I went to recovery for her and she was very tearful and confused, took a good hour and half for her to come round. Then it was like she hadn't had anything done!! She wanted chips and to go home as soon as possible! We got home and she wanted to do cartwheels and run around??

I was told to keep her off nursery for 2 weeks because of infection, but kept her off for just over 10 days. She did get an ear infection two days after the op, but they think that was already there and the grommets were letting it out?

I can honestly say, I was very worried how she would be and she has been fine, like I said it was like she had had nothing done! Her hearing is amazing, she no longer has green goo running out of her nose, and she is a much happier little girl!

One tip though, I kept on top of the paracetamol and ibuprofen for three days after the op, didn't miss a dose? So I don't think she had chance to be pain?

Good Luck xx