Full vs Partial Tonsil Removal

My son is almost 23 months old and due to sleep apnea and 2 recent bouts of strep, we are going to have his tonsils and adenoids removed. The doctor explained that we have the option to remove the tonsils fully or partially, and I can't decide which is better for my son. Although the doctor is slightly recommending partial, he is willing to do either. My fear is that we do a partial and 5 years from now there is enough regrowth that we have to do another surgery to remove them fully. Does anyone have experience with partial tonsil removal that they can share?

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So What Happened?™

Thanks for the advice. Brenda, he goes to Dr. Soumekh and I was told the same thing, that 95% of the surgeries they do these days are partial. I have a few weeks to make the final decision and at this point, I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

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D.M. answers from Denver on October 17, 2011

We did full tonsil and adenoid. It was a great decision!!! Best of luck,

1 mom found this helpful

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D.B. answers from Charlotte on October 17, 2011

I can see a partial adenoidectomy. In fact, I really think that adenoids should be shaved or trimmed, because any child as young as yours has not been talking long enough to figure out if there is some hypernasality to his speech that could be magnified severly by too much adenoid removal. (You can tell I know that from having a speech impaired child.)

However, I would have the full monty done on the tonsils. Strep will just find its way back into those tonsils, and you really don't want to go through another tonsillectomy later on.

Good luck,
D.

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M.L. answers from Houston on October 17, 2011

I have never heard of partial... but I looked it up. It sounds like a good alternative, but there is no guarantee that a regrowth won't happen and that you won't have to do it again:

http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Article/Partia...

I did not have a tonsilectomy, but I did have my adenoids fully removed when I was about 8.

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B.J. answers from Minneapolis on October 18, 2011

Hi E..
My neighbor is one of if not the top ENT peds surgeon in town. Wonder if he's your doc?? Anyway-- my daughter had issues too- although we didn't remove them.
He says they rarely- and I mean rarely- remove tonsils now. They shave them- for a partial as there are too many benefits to leaving some of them and the kids tend to grow into them.
The only time they consider it is for major sleep apnea to prevent right heart enlargement.
Your call yet it might be a good idea to ease your mind and get a second opinion??
Hang in there- either way likely ok for your son.

about me- 51 yo perfusionist, wellness coach, mom with 10 yo fraternal twin girls.

B. j

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B.C. answers from Norfolk on October 17, 2011

My son just turned 4 when his tonsils and adenoids were removed.
His were not infected.
He never had a fever.
But his tonsils ballooned to the point where they almost touched each other across the back of his throat.
We tried steroids to shrink them but they swelled right back up again as soon as we were off them.
They became an obstruction and were interfering with his breathing, eating and sleeping.
Having them all out was the best thing we ever did.
He healed up quickly.