Tonsillectomy removal

[FrammyLammy]

My Daughter is due her tonsils out in two weeks. For the last 4 years shes had tonsillitis 7-10 times a year requiring 10 days course of antibiotics each time.

Since December last year shes had it once and has never been in such great health like this before.

Shes doing well at school, no absences etc

Im just so torn on what to do. Can I justify putting her through this operation when shes improved massively.

She has pre op in two weeks which I plan to discuss in depth all the above whilst there but just asking for any advise if anyone has been in similar boat

Ultimately its my decision

How old is she?
I had mine out but wouldn't recommend it unless it's genuinely needed.

She is 6

When did you have yours out?

My mum refused mine when I was 8 because (it seemed to get better) but in my teens it started again and in my 30s had to have them removed (I was a single parent with 3 dc aged 3- 7). It wasn't easy I wished my mum had let me have them done as a child it would have saved years of ill health and is a lot worse recovery as an adult.
Dc3 had them removed at aged 5 and recovered really quickly and was worth the time off/ pain.

@FrammyLammy , mid-teens.
The tonsils act as a barrier for infections and since removing them, if I get an infection is will get further into the body.
Far fewer infections but if I get an infection it will be so much worse.

I'm going by my experience and what others have told me.
I'm not a qualified doctor or ENT specialist, but my advice would be to voice your concerns to someone qualified to give you sound advice.

These days the recovery is so much better. They dont tend to remove them but laser down very close. Amazing results. My kid was up and about the next day haha. Sounds like she needs them gone.

Nope. Tonsils are protective for the first few years of life when babies/toddlers used to die a lot. After that theyre a liability.

I had mine in the 90s and it’s completely different to how it’s done now.

I'm sure it will be different now, but my advice to OP is still to ask someone qualified to give advice.

Oh I would get it done. I ended up finally doing it when I was 25 and missing so much uni. It wasn’t the most fun I’ve ever had, but it’s far better than tonsillitis 3-4 times a year.

I had mine done as an adult. Like your DD I was getting multiple infections a year necessatating anti-botics time off work and the last year ended up with chest infections

Yes it was painful but been free of all that (and only had anti-b's) once in 20 year

Get it done. They don’t offer surgery unless it’s needed

DS2 had his tonsils and adenoids out age 3. He was constantly unwell with tonsillitis and loads of upper respiratory infections, requiring many courses of antibiotics. They were also very enlarged and caused sleep apnoea, as well as speech delay. Since having them out he hasn’t had any issues with upper respiratory infections, the sleep apnoea resolved and his speech came on in leaps.

I’d say that if they are recommending the surgery then get it done. Just because she has had a relatively good few months doesn’t mean it won’t come back with a vengeance (as pp have said from their experience), and it’s generally better to get it done in childhood than as an adult. His recovery was very quick, we were careful to follow their instructions to the letter, such as eating crispy foods (to help scrape the gunk off so infection doesn’t set in), and regular pain relief, even waking him for the next dose. I’ll add that I’ve had tonsillitis as an adult and it’s probably the most unwell I’ve ever felt!

I didn't get mine removed until I was 14. Most years I had 6-10 bouts of tonsillitis with the occasional year with fewer infections.
I wish they had removed them sooner. The driving force for the removal was avoiding time off school during my GCSE years.
I have had tonsillitis twice in 2001 when I had them removed and have a normal level of coughs and colds. I spent 10 years in a university and during that time I got more respiratory infections with the sickly student population but since leaving it has been better. After covid I continued to wear a mask on very busy commuter trains and found I barely got any.