How Long is Tonsillectomy Recovery?
What is a Tonsillectomy?
A tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure often performed in children to remove the tonsils from either side of the throat. Typically, the reason the tonsils are removed is because of frequent bouts of throat pain or infection. There are several courses of action to target the infections themselves, such as a short, long or a consistent course of antibiotics, or just waiting the infection out. Many times, these methods are preventing the inevitable need to remove the tonsils. More often than not, the tonsils are removed during childhood because the recovery is much quicker and the pain is a lot less severe. Tonsillectomy recovery time varies for children and adults.
Tonsillectomy Recovery for Children
Since the surgery usually involves anesthesia, the child will either stay overnight or have a several hour period of observation. Eating soft foods and drinking fluids is recommended for two to four days, as is bed rest. Since less food is being consumed, there is a risk of dehydration and you should ensure that the child is getting adequate fluid. Your doctor may recommend a pain reliever, such as acetaminophen. About five days after the surgery, the scabs from the surgery will fall off. There may be some bleeding, but due to the quick recovery of children, it should not be too severe. One to two weeks after the surgery the child should feel a 100 percent recovery.
Tonsillectomy Recovery in Teenagers & Adults
While teenagers will experience a similar healing path as children, with a few extra days of recovery needed, adults may have a more difficult experience. Recovery can take between 10 and 20 days for an adult, with the possibility of mouth pain for over a month, and mild to severe bleeding when the scabs begin to heal. If bleeding does occur and does not stop on its own, you must go to the emergency room. It is a standard procedure to stop the bleeding, though if it is severe enough, more complications can arise from a lack of an empty stomach when undergoing anesthesia.
Since dehydration increases pain, you must take in as much liquid nourishment as possible throughout the day to keep the throat pain to a minimum. Bleeding is more often a problem when dehydration is a factor. It is recommended that you avoid physical activity for at least two weeks to ensure that proper healing will occur.
