Home > Encyclopedia of Surgery > Tonsillectomy

Definition

Tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the tonsils. The tonsils are part of the lymphatic system, which is responsible for fighting infection.

Purpose

Tonsils are removed when a person, most often a child, has any of the following conditions:

• obstruction
• sleep apnea (a condition in which an individual snores loudly and stops breathing temporarily at intervals during sleep)
• inability to swallow properly because of enlarged tonsils
• a breathy voice or other speech abnormality due to enlarged tonsils
• recurrent or persistent abscesses or throat infections

Physicians are not in complete agreement on the number of sore throats that necessitate a tonsillectomy. Most would agree that four cases of strep throat in any...