Tonsillectomy News and Research

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A tonsillectomy is a procedure whreby the tonsils are removed from either side of the throat. The procedure is performed in response to cases of repeated occurrence of acute tonsillitis or adenoiditis, obstructive sleep apnea, nasal airway obstruction, snoring, or peritonsillar abscess.

60% of privately insured children received opioids after tonsillectomy, study finds

Sixty percent of privately insured children undergoing tonsil removal received opioids –with average prescriptions lasting about six to 10 days – a new study finds.

9 Aug 2019

Study: General anesthesia in early infancy unlikely to have lasting effects on developing brains

A single hour of general anesthesia in early infancy—longer than is necessary to perform the most common types of minor surgeries in childhood—does not result in measurable neurodevelopmental or behavioral problems up to the age of 5 years, according to the first randomized trial of its kind involving 722 infants in seven countries, published in The Lancet.

15 Feb 2019

Study explores patterns of adenoid and tonsil growth in teenagers

In the most thorough longitudinal study performed to date, X-ray images of children at five developmental stages between the ages of eight and nineteen were carefully measured.

11 Feb 2019

Tonsil and adenoid removal increases long-term risk of respiratory, allergic and infectious diseases

Tonsil and adenoid removal associated with long-term risks of respiratory, allergic and infectious diseases Removing tonsils and adenoids in childhood increases the long-term risk of respiratory, allergic and infectious diseases, according to researchers who have examined - for the first time - the long-term effects of the operations.

7 Jun 2018

As surgery centers boom, patients are paying with their lives

The surgery went fine. Her doctors left for the day. Four hours later, Paulina Tam started gasping for air.

6 Mar 2018

One in 20 children still receiving codeine to treat pain despite warning from federal regulators

A new study shows as many as one in 20 children were still receiving codeine to treat pain after tonsil and adenoid surgery, two years after federal regulators warned doctors that prescribing the opioid to kids after the routine surgeries could be fatal.

16 Nov 2017

Delaying minor surgery for pediatric patients may not offer any neurodevelopmental benefit

Children under age 5 who underwent minor surgery requiring anesthesia had a 26 percent increased risk of later diagnosis with a mental disorder. However, the timing of the procedure did not affect this risk, according to a new study at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and College of Physicians and Surgeons.

14 Sep 2017

Tonsillectomies provide modest short-term benefits for children, Vanderbilt review reveals

Removing tonsils modestly reduced throat infections in the short term in children with moderate obstructive sleep-disordered breathing or recurrent throat infections, according to a systematic review conducted by the Vanderbilt Evidence-based Practice Center for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

25 Jan 2017

Vernalis Therapeutics announces availability of codeine-based cough and cold syrup in the U.S.

Vernalis Therapeutics Inc., a subsidiary of Vernalis plc, today announced that Tuzistra XR (codeine polistirex and chlorpheniramine polistirex), extended-release oral suspension, CIII (DEA Schedule III) is now available to adult patients and physicians in the United States.

8 Sep 2015

Morphine after tonsillectomy may be life threatening for children

Treating post-operative pain with morphine can cause life-threatening respiratory problems in some children who have had their tonsils and/or adenoids removed, new research has found.

27 Jan 2015

Children from lower-income families more likely to have complications following tonsillectomy

Removing a child's tonsils is one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States, with approximately 500,000 children undergoing the procedure each year. New research finds that children from lower-income families are more likely to have complications following the surgery.

16 Oct 2014

Tonsillectomy in adults improves quality of life

Tonsillectomy for recurrent pharyngitis in adults improves quality of life for the overwhelming majority of patients, report researchers.

30 Jun 2014

Summer offers ideal opportunity to get tonsil removal

Pool pass, sports camp, visiting relatives and getting tonsils removed are all normal activities for children during the summer months.

25 Jun 2014

Parental presence during anesthesia induction improves quality of anesthesia for children

New research presented at this year's Euroanaesthesia meeting in Stockholm shows that having parents present during the induction of their child's anaesthesia improves the quality of that anaesthesia. The study is by Dr Alicia S-nchez, Department of Anaesthesiology, Hospital de Sagunto, Spain, and colleagues.

2 Jun 2014

Kids exposed to cooking or tobacco smoke more likely to suffer excessive pain after tonsillectomies

New research presented at this year's Euroanaesthesia meeting in Stockholm shows that children exposed to indoor coal-burning stoves and/or second-hand tobacco smoke are much more likely to suffer postoperative complications and excessive pain after tonsillectomies.

2 Jun 2014

Children get codeine in U.S. emergency rooms, despite risks: Study

Despite its potentially harmful effects in children, codeine continues to be prescribed in U.S. emergency rooms, according to new research from UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco.

21 Apr 2014

20% of adults with tonsillectomies have higher complication than previously shown

Twenty percent of adults who have tonsillectomies will have a complication, which is significantly higher than previously shown, according to a team of researchers. The team also found that these complications substantially increase health care expenditures.

4 Apr 2014

Study examines complications in adult tonsillectomies and impact on health care expenditures

A study released today of 36,210 adult tonsillectomy patients finds that 20 percent will have a complication, offering valuable new insights to a decades long discussion. The study, featured in the April 2014 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, examines the prevalence of complications in adult tonsillectomies and the impact on health care expenditures.

2 Apr 2014

Use of IV acetaminophen with narcotics reduces pain in children with tonsillectomies

Using intravenous acetaminophen with narcotics provides more effective pain relief to children having tonsillectomies, according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2013 annual meeting.

13 Oct 2013

Over-the-counter ibuprofen appears to be safest alternative for reducing post-operative pain

You may be able to eat all of the ice cream you want after having your tonsils removed, but researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit say you don't necessarily need a prescription to reduce post-operative pain -- an over-the-counter pain-reliever is just as effective.

2 Oct 2013