Would tonsills shrink to normal after adenoidectomy?

[chocorabbit]

DSs (5 & 7) are to be scheduled for adenoidectomy. They have had a runny nose since they were babies and they gradually started to snore which has become really bad now.

However their tonsils are also huge. The ENT said that after the operation their tonsils would shrink as now they are reacting to all the germs from their snot so they are actually protecting them. But he also said (when asked) that if it was up to him they would remove their tonsils too but the PCT won't allow it unless they had 5-6 bouts of tonsillitis and they have never had tonsillitis.

I have no problem with them keeping their tonsils as they are part of the immune system but which are the chances of them shrinking if they have their adenoids removed? As it is an operation with full anaesthesia required I wouldn't want them to go through this twice. And I wouldn't know what to expect from the single operation.

Has any of you or your children had massive tonsils that shrank after removing their adenoids?

Thanks!

Any experiences?

Hi ds2 had adenoids out and grommets put in when he was 2. To be honest it made no difference to the size of his tonsils.
However his tonsils are particularly huge and since then he has now been diagnosed as having tonsil hypertrophy. They actually touch each other. He has never had tonsillitis but has issues with breathing and eating, sleeping and speech, and he is always poorly.
He goes in to hospital tomorrow actually, his operation is tonsils and adenoids out and new grommets in, he is almost 4.
Hope your DC feel better after having their adenoids out.

Thank you for the reply!!

I am sorry for not seeing your post earlier and I really appreciate it!

I hope everything goes well for your son!

So basically our children have the same problems. Disruption with sleep, breathing, speech etc. Ours have really big tonsils and I am worried about it ..grade 4? Now what is that, I only noticed that recently and I should research it a bit more.

If the tonsils are affecting sleep, breathing and speech then in some parts of the country they would remove them for those reasons. Have your children had a sleep study? Just like wearing a watch type thing at home overnight to record their sleep? I know that is what happens locally if concern is high and the children are not actually getting tonsillitis.
Can you speak to the ENT team? Or email the Secretaries and ask them to forward your questions to the consultant?