What’s an Adenoidectomy (Adenoid removal)?
Adenoid removal, also called Adenoidectomy, is a simple day case procedure to remove the adenoids. It is usually done under general anesthesia and takes 30 minutes. The adenoids are lymph nodes that are located in the back of the back of the nose.
Doctors often perform adenoid removals and tonsillectomies (removal of the tonsils) together, as chronic throat and respiratory infections often cause infection and inflammation in both glands.
What are the reasons for removing Adenoids?
There are two indications for removal of adenoids:
- Definitive indications or reasons: Sleep Apnea, or the patient ceasing to breath at night time for few seconds secondary to the enlarged tonsils and adenoids.
- Relative indications: such as recurrent infections or nasal obstruction that is not causing sleep apnea. The decision to proceed with tonsillectomy is tied up to the frequency of these infections and how much of a problem it for the patient.
Symptoms of enlarged Adenoids
- sore throat
- difficulty swallowing and breathing through the nose
- frequent ear infections
- sleep apnea
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