Looking for Support/advice Surgery for Kiddo

My daughter had this done at about your girls' age. There were a whole bunch of kids her age having it done at the surgery center, I guess Thursday was tonsillectomy day. I was able to walk her into the operating room, where a nurse asked her to blow up a balloon (attached to the gas) so she would breathe heavy. I held her hand and told her cheerfully I will see you soon. The doc did advise me that once they go "under" their eyes roll back and not to feel scared about this. When she was done about 40 minutes later they called me while she was waking up. She was a little disoriented, but the room held about 5 other kids in the same condition. I fed her ice chips in the post-operative room for about half an hour to 45 minutes. Then they moved her to her own room, since we stayed overnight. The worst part of the whole experience was me having to sleep in what they deemed to be a "pull-out-chair". It was so skinny and hard I barely slept but we watched tv until late, then I read while she slept, and then I woke up early again and shared her huge breakfast while she ate more popsickles. The risk of a tonsillectomy is mostly bleeding from the tonsil beds, and that risk is greatest right after surgery and then again about 7-10 days later when the scabs fall off. Nothing at all happened to my daughter, she loved having ice cream with every meal, took the tylenol with codeine in the hospital but at home wanted only tylenod (the codeine has a funny taste). She was fine from day 1 and immediately did not snore anymore. The surgeon said her tonsils were a level 4 which I understood to be the largest. They were so big they actually grew up into her nose cavity, not just in the throat.
I would not bother with a sleep study, that may actually be a lot more scary for her with electrodes attached to her skull and skin and trying to fall asleep in a weird place.

My son, who is now 7, had his tonsils and adenoids removed at the age of 5. He also had tubes put in at 1.5, so he has been under 2x.
Yeah, I was scared, but it was the best decision we ever made! He was not getting the sleep/rest he needed. He now sleeps a solid 10 or 11 hours a night and wakes up rested and ready to go.
Find an ENT you are comfortable with ~ one you trust. It will make all the difference in the world!
My son's surgery was on the 1st level of the doctor's office ~ it was an outpatient surgery center and I think we were there a total of 3 hours. Yes, it's totally normal.

I am so sorry, this does seem scary but rest assured that this is a very common procedure. I don't have any first hand experience as far as my child goes, but I have have had a few procedures at a hospital and a few at a surgery center...much preferred the surgery centers. They are less clinical and hospitally...but very well equipped for minor surgeries such as this. You're right to ask questions and be vigilant, but ultimately if it will improve her health it is the right thing to do with very, very minimal risk.

Please stop worrying about the surgery and anesthesia. It is easy. Getting over the sore throat from the surgery is the hard part. But you know what is even harder? Getting a tonsillectomy as a teen or adult. It is SO hard. And I really mean hard. As a 6 year old, it is so much easier.

My kids have been through it, I have been through it, my family members have been through it. Twilight sleep is great. I don't know if they will do that for a tonsillectomy or not, but you need to have some faith in a good reputable doctor. Sleep apnea deprives the brain and body of needed oxygen and sleep. That's a big deal and takes precidence over your fear of anesthesia.

Good luck,
Dawn

If she has apnea - it will show up.

Nicholas had tubes put in his ears when he was 13 months old. I was a mess. He was out in less than 30 minutes and absolutely fine!

Surgery centers are TOTALLY normal. Talk to the doctor about your concerns so you won't be a mess!! It's normal to be scared. She will pick up on your fears and it won't be an easy time. Take a deep breath. This isn't the doctors first surgery - right? She'll be fine!

My son actually had hernia surgery today-he's been playing video games all afternoon! It was at a surgery center, which is the norm. Surgery was at 11:30, we were in the car by 2:00. They are pros at these places. Son is 16 but he also had tonsils/adenoids/tubes at 4, also at a surgery center. He had apnea, but we didn't do the sleep study. I agree with others that the sleep study could actually be more traumatic for her than the surgery.

I was just telling a grandson today about how I had my tonsils out at his age, 7 years old. It was in the old days when you got ether to put you out and it was horrible stuff. You never forget ether. They kept you overnight then home the next day and it was awful. Now days the anesthetic is so much better that the after effects are better too. Either way it is not pleasant and the main concern is bleeding. If it needs done then I guess it has to be done and others of us have lived through it. I have friends who have children that all had the surgery done at a surgery center and did fine. I now adults who had surgery at those special surgery places and they did fine. I know how you feel though.

My daughter had "twilight sleep" for whole mouth dental surgery and the worst part was me crying like a idiot!! They gave her a little cocktail and she got a little loopy but completely relaxed. She walked back with the nurse on her own and the anesthesia doc out the iv ( which didn't even bruise) and it was done in 20 mins. I was a hot mess in the waiting room and and the girls were more worried about me :( she will be fine mama! They know what they are doing and do it everyday. Help her! Get it done and you will be glad you did!

My kids have had four or five surgeries combined...one pretty major over two hours long...they have come out fine. No one even threw up which is a common side effect.

I have been to a surgery center three times for me a once for each child...and they are much nicer than the hospital stays we have had...they are there for only your surgery...the nurses are very attentive and supportive. They gave my kids stuffed animals and books, etc prior to surgery. They don't release you until you are really ready to leave...and if there were complications that needed to be observed over night they are usually associated with a hospital and would transfer you. (Never heard of that happening...but hey...)

I know it is scary and the paperwork they make you sign is scary...but she will do just fine...you stay calm and cheerful until she is out, then you can cry and have hysterics, get it out of your system to meet her in recovery with a smile.

Part of having children is doing what is best for them even when it scares you to bits...sending you a huge hug!!

My 3 year old actually went through this exact process a year ago. The sleep study was not exactly fun with all the wires. I definitely did not get any sleep. But it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I had to do a lot of damage control to keep him from knocking the wires off but he was none the worse for wear. I would guess it would be less difficult with a six year old. His sleep study showed that his apnea was about ten times worse than I knew.

Then we did an adenoidectomy. Again, not terribly fun for me -- I was a basket case. But he did fine. He was grumpy for about an hour afterwards and then back to his normal self.

We are now scheduled for a tonsillectomy next month. From what they tell me, recovery will be much worse but the surgery itself is pretty similar in terms of time frame and risks. I am still *terrified* but, after the surgery we did last year, the logical part of my brain says that's just the M. in me. He's going to be fine.

Hope that helps.

We are about to do this with my daughter (4) also b/c of sleep apnea. Our doctor suggested not doing a sleep study b/c it's very expensive and stressful for the child only to come up with the same solution. You're the M. and have to do with your comfortable with though. Our ds had to have tubes put in over the fall and I have to admit I was very nervous about the anethesia, but they really put me at ease with it all. Explained exactly what to expect. They only work on pediatrics and even explained the worst case scenario (at my questioning) and I felt better that they could give it to me and give me a plan of action. The tubes were done at a surgical center and all was fine. They do it every day. Do you have the option of a hospital if that will ease your mind? If not with this ENT, maybe with another?? Good luck!

Both my grand kids we are raising were put under general anesthesia at the out patient surgery center to have dental work done. They sit in a little room and can play or whatever. The doc comes in and they roll off through the doors. They have the kiddo breathe gas through the mask to put them out initially and then they put in any IV's or other stuff they may need. Then the doc does the work. Once they are finished they stop the medication that is making them sleep, they wake up.

Sometimes the reaction is they are totally confused and get scared so they go screaming banshee. That happened with the boy and getting tubes in his ears. This only lasts maybe a half hour, the med comes out of their system through breath and each time they are screaming it is gushing out. I could smell the anesthesia when he screamed. We left the surgery center, drove about a block away, and by the time I had his medication back to the car he wanted to know if we could go to McDonalds to eat, he was hungry. That was less than 30 minutes. The anesthesia got out quickly.

Then when he had IV meds for dental work he got finished, sat up, pulled the IV needles out, the laid down on his tummy and went back to sleep for another hour or so.

Again he woke up but was totally happy and ready to go eat. It is such a difference and I think it was the med given plus the area worked on. He got shots in his mouth to numb the pain, the pain in the ears could have been a lot. I am not sure. He does not remember it at all.

based on her age, it is "normal" to be done at a surgery center. it is an outpatient procedure and baring any complications she would only stay for a few hours after she came out of recovery.

that being said, I have dealt with 9 surgeries with my 3 sons, who at this time are ALL still under the age of 3 years old. My oldest will be 3 in march and the twins are 14 months old. All 3 boys were born with bilateral cleft lip and palate. all 3 boys had their lip repair surgeries at the age of 3 to 4 months old, their palate repairs were done at 1 year of age. My oldest also has had 2 sets of ear tubes and he had his tonsils out back in October. Because he is so young, he had to stay over night at the hospital for his tonsils. None of my boys have ever had any bad/negative/scary reactions to the anethesia. The anethsetiaologist (sp?) will go over every single thing that could happen, it WILL scare the s#$! out of you, but they have to tell you about anything that could happen. I know how scary it is to have your child have surgery, and we have had some big one's as you can imagine. Try having your twins BOTH have surgery the same day and having to deal with the recovery etc. But you will be fine. ask the doctor a million questions, and then ask him again if you need to. If your doctor makes you feel like you shouldnt be asking questions then you should switch.
out ENT did not pressure us in the slightest about taking our oldest's tonsils, she told us the pro's and con's for having them taken out AND for not taking them out. gave us stuff to read, suggested websites etc. she wanted to make sure that we were totally comfortable with whatever decision we made. we did it because of some mild sleep apnea, horrible snoring, not to mention the fact that he got strep throat a few times within about 6 months and they were so swollen they were almost touching. I hope you get some good answers and that they help to eliviate your fears!

ETA: also, if you do decide to have her tonsil out, ask if the ENT will do stitches or will burn them. our ENT was the only ENT in our childrens hospital here that did the burning technique and her patients, my son included, had much easier/better/faster recoveries. there were 2 other kids the same age as my son on the unit he stayed on who had been there for 2 days after their tonsillectomy because they wouldnt drink...they had the stitches. my son drank an entire 20 ounce bottle of gatorade within an hour of being out of recovery and was eating mashed potatoes and pancakes for dinner. the burning is much better, less chances of bleeding etc.