Tonsillectomy is surgery to remove the tonsils. It's a common surgery, especially in children, but it is not done nearly as often as it was in the past. Tonsillectomy may reduce how often your child gets throat infections. But even without surgery, tonsillitis will probably occur less often as your child gets older.

Your child will get a general anesthetic and will be asleep during the surgery. Your child may go home on the day of the surgery, or he or she may stay in the hospital overnight. Tonsillectomy is usually performed by an otolaryngologist, a doctor who specializes in ear, nose, and throat problems.

Your child may have a lot of ear and throat pain for up to 2 weeks after surgery. A fever up to 102°F (38.9°C) is also common. Your child may also have bad breath for up to 2 weeks.

After surgery, your child will feel tired for several days and then slowly become more active. Your child should be able to go back to school or day care in 1 week and return to full activities in 2 weeks.

Watchful waiting is a wait-and-see approach to treating tonsillitis. If it seems that your child is getting fewer throat infections over time, he or she won't need surgery. If your child keeps having infections that are getting in the way of daily life, then you and your doctor can decide what to do next.

There are a few things you can do to help your child feel better at home. Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Over-the-counter medicines (such as acetaminophen) and frozen treats (such as Popsicles) can help relieve a sore throat. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label. If your child is age 8 or older, he or she can also gargle often with warm salt water to help relieve throat pain.

The risks include some bleeding after surgery. This is common, especially when the healed scab over the cut area falls off. Other risks are much less common. They include more serious bleeding and problems from the anesthesia during surgery. Death during surgery is very rare.

Some children may get upset by being in a hospital.

For some children, surgery can greatly improve quality of life. Enlarged tonsils can block your child's upper airway and cause snoring and mouth breathing. Tonsillectomy can help relieve these problems.

Children who have a tonsillectomy because of repeated infections may have fewer and less severe infections for at least 2 years after the surgery. But over time, many children who do not have surgery also have fewer throat infections.

In some cases when a child keeps getting strep throat infections, especially if the infections cause other problems, surgery may be the best choice.

Doctors usually only recommend surgery to remove tonsils when a child has repeated infections of the tonsils that are causing serious problems or are affecting a child's quality of life. Any decision about surgery should be made with your doctor and based on your own child's health and well-being.

Tonsillitis caused by a virus usually goes away by itself. It will probably occur less often as your child gets older. Researchers in one study found that surgery is no better than taking a wait-and-see approach for children who get tonsillitis less than 3 times a year.^{footnote 1} Your child may benefit from surgery if he or she is missing a lot of school because of repeated throat infections or has trouble sleeping because of enlarged tonsils.

Doctors don't all agree on how many throat infections in a year point to the need for tonsillectomy. But a general guideline is 7 or more cases of tonsillitis in the past 1 year, or 5 or more cases a year for the past 2 years, or 3 or more cases a year for the past 3 years.

Some of the serious medical problems that may mean your child should have a tonsillectomy are:

• Tonsillitis that lasts longer than 3 months, even with medicine.
• Blocked air passages, which can lead to sleep apnea.
• Trouble swallowing.
• Tonsils that bleed heavily.

Talk with your doctor about the possible risks and benefits of surgery for your child.