Tonsils/Adenoid Surgery Advice

Had mine done at 17. Two words - NO DAIRY. It builds up mucus (ewwwww) and makes them even more uncomfortable. He will be horribly thirsty when he wakes up - offer him ice chips.

My daughter had hers out on Valentine's day. She had just turned 4 in Oct. SHE DID GREAT! She is a different little girl. She can actually eat, hasn't been on antibiotics since Feb and doesn't snore anymore! She had them done at a wonderful Children's hospital. They said she was to be on a liquid diet the first day (it was done as outpatient) however as soon as we got home, she was eating bread. No problems. The biggest thing is no straws, no sucking for at least 1 month. All I had to do was tell her the Dr said no straws and she was fine with that. Other than that, she was actually HAPPY to have them out. We had a "Good Bye Tonsils" cake and party at her school and her teachers read from books to all the kids so they would know what to expect. Even tho Mom here is an RN, it is totally different when it's your baby. But all I have to say is it was a very very positive experience for everyone and she is doing great. GOOD LUCK with your son! He will feel so much better!

One thing to talk about is making sure the stomach is clear of any swallowed blood most the time the kids wake up throwing up because of the digestive blood, it sure helped to have my sons tummy pumped before he woke up. lots of patience Mom your baby might be a cry baby it hurts and of coarse lots of ice chips popsicycles

Blessings

I have two daughters and both of them had theirs out by the time they were three. The surgery is actually very minor and the first 48 hours post surgery is the worst. For both my girls the prescribed liquid lortab but that stuff tastes so bad that neither of them would take it after the first day. I would suggest having plenty of ibuprofen on hand and the absolutely most pain free way to alleviate the pain is with a supository, if it doesn't gross you out to much! Before the surgery they gave them verced, this medicine that pretty much makes them drunk so, after that there was no anxiety. Good Luck! It will probably take a week or so for them to really be themselves again.

My daughter went through the same surgery when she was five. She did great, and she was happy not to have ear infections anymore. Also her snoring went away. She was able to hear clearly all the time from then on. Check your hospital, does he have to stay overnight? If so, see if you can stay with him. Many hospitals let you stay in your child's room.

I'll pray for him and you.

E.:)

My 5 year old had the same procedure done in March. He had the same anxiety we took him to the store and let him pick out a special friend to take into the room with him he choose a cheeta that he said would protect him and make him brave because he had to go into the surgery without his parents. The surgery center was great and even gave the stuffed animal a cap like his and he was soo beave. The one thing that I didn't expect was that his IV was in his hand with a board taped to his arm so when he was waking up he was so upset that he couldn't move his wrist and hand freely. He was more upset about that than the entire process. He is fine now and just helped my 9yo daughters best friend get through her ear surgery by telling her how brave he was and explaining to her all the things that happened to him from his point of view he even asked her if she needed Jazz(his cheeta) to help her be brave.

Hi P.,

My son has his adenoids out and tubes inserted this past Tuesday down at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. The procedure went great! He is only 2 1/2 and so we were not dealing with too much in the way of anxiety but I think that the tour will help, especially since the nurses and Doctors are so great with kids. I'm not sure where you are having the procedure done but we had a great experience at Rady with Dr. Pransky. My son had his surgery mid-morning and was running around the house as if nothing ever happened by late afternoon. Also, I cannot speak to tonsils since my son did not have this removed. From what I know from friends, however, the recovery is slightly longer and there are diet restrictions for comfort for a few days. We felt that we were fully informed by Dr. Pransky and the hospital. Good luck!

Both of my daughters 4 & 5 had their tonsils out the same day last October. Our ENT was really great in talking to them about what was going to happen and the anesthesiologist came in and told the girls exactly what he was going to do. They both came through fine although our younger daughter remembered them pulling the tube out and was hysterical, she calmed down after I came into the room and talked to her. Our oldest daughter doesn't remember anything except waking up and wanting her daddy.

Your attitude will determine a lot how your son does, if you are calm he'll be calm if you are stressed and freaked out then he will too. Be honest but not graphic :-) Having their tonsils and adenoids removed has been a huge positive for my girls.

A.

2 of my 3 boys had this surgery, and the younger one had a reaction to te anesthesia, woke up throwing up tons of blood. So scary, he was just under 2 years old. Fortunately, we were at Childrens Hospital, they are so great there, they were ready with meds for kids undergoing chemo and after he had thrown up for the 3rd time, he was given medication and it worked right away. So my suggestion is, if there is a complication and he is uncomfortable, don't be afraid to get him some help, you are the parent and even though a little bit of discomfort is expected, they are able to help if it is out of the ordinary. Be sure you take his favorite blanky or toy to stay with him. My son is now 12 and his turtle still has his arm bracelet! Good luck, he will be so much better after the surgery it will be like a different kid, but prepare yourself for the horrible breath, it really is bad :(!!

My son was just about to turn 4 at the time of his adnoid surgery after rounds of heavy antibiotics didn't help to shrink them. His tonsils were very swollen too and he was suffering from sleep apnea and was having difficulty breathing and eating because of it. Our ENT chose to just take out the adnoids first since it was less invasive and hoped that with those gone the tonsils would shrink over time. We didn't really go into to much detail explaining to our son what was going to happen because we didn't want to scare him. We just told him that he was going to go see the Dr. so that he could take a look at his throat. We told him the he was going to be sleeping while the Dr. looked in there and when he woke up his throat might hurt a little but to make sure not to make too much noise to hurt his throat more. When we got to the hospital the nurses were wonderful and brought him crayons and paper to draw pictures to pass the time. We were able to stay with him till they took him into the operating room and the nurses explained to him that they were going to need his help blowing up a balloon...which was the anestisia. We went out to the waiting room when they "took him for a ride" and they called us back in about 40 minutes later when we was coming around. He was a little groggy and grouchy. They waited till after the put him to sleep to put in his IVs so he didnt appreciate seeing them when he got up, but it was definatly less invasive. We took him home after a couple of minutes loaded him up on Jello and Pudding and let him lay in bed and watch all his favorite programs.By the afternoon he was back to his regular self and we couldn't keep him down, by the next morning he was crying for regular food and we let him have it. Its been a little over three months since his surgery and he has improved dramaticly. His tonsils have shrunk back down to their normal size, we couldn't be happier. Our ENT said it could take up to a year for them to shrink back down, I'm glad we went with the decision to not take them all out at the same time though, maybe if you have that option you might consider discussing it with your ENT.

My daughter who was 5 at the time had her tonsils out just this January and boy am I glad she hasn't been sick since. The scariest thing is after surgery we she first woke up and was gagging and trying to throw up, while not understanding why she was going threw this. Be prepared for your child to fight you on eating and drinking even though they need to and even though she still wasn't acting herself I knew she was finally feeeling better when she asked for popcorn, good luck.

Hello P., my son had this same surgery when he was 2, it was horrible for him. The biggest thing to remember is EVERY kid is going to react differently. My friend's son had it at 5 and was up and playing that afternoon, my son didn't get off the couch for a week. LOL

The biggest thing no one told my husband and I was that he would throw up blood, and lots of it. It scared us to death! Not to mention how freaked out Dilly was. It was no big deal just a part of surgery it just wasn't told to us.

I agree with telling him what he can eat afterwards, and once he can eat solids make a big deal and get him his favorite meal. Just please don't minimize his feelings by saying "It's no big deal, don't be scared, ect." He is and will be scared, just validate the feeling and reassure him that it's ok to be scared and that you will be right there with him.

All 3 of my boys had this done. Just be honest with him...his throat will hurt after and ice cream and ice pops do not make it all better. For my youngest, we opted to have him stay overnight so they could hydrate him. Keeping them well hydrated post op was the biggest concern and trickiest for us. Sometimes, they have a kind of throat spasm - for lack of a better term - which is tough, but only lasts the first 2-3 days off and on. Overall, I am so glad we did this. All of my boys were so much healthier after this procedure/surgery. I know it's not the best to expose them to such a harsh medical procedure, but it was worth it for us.

We had my daughter's tonsils and adenoids removed last year. We were very unaware of what is involved. She came through the surgery great but was miserable when she woke up from the anesthesia. She was thrashing with all her might and trying to pull out the IV (This also happened the exact same way when my third daughter had her adenoids removed). Recovery went fine. She spent a lot of time in my bed watching shows the first few days. She ate lots of ice pops and ice cream--to the point where she told us she never wanted to eat ice cream again! :>) Never thought I'd hear that! Getting her to take the meds stunk because they taste awful. My husband and I had to hold her down. In the end, the mild bump in our family life was extremely worth it!!! She was like a new child--sleeping well, no snoring or runny noses!!

P.,

My daughter had her adenoids removed when she was 4 years old and it was very nerve racking and stressful. I think me being a calm person it helped her be calm and she was fine as soon as we brought her home from the surgery (she definitely wanted out of the hospital). She ate popsicles all day the first day and was back to her wonderful self the next day. I guess it's kind of like shots, you know you have to do it so make the best of a scary situation and he will be just fine. He will be watching you and will follow your lead.

God Bless You!

i had my tonsils out when i was 11..it sucks..just that it hurts every time u swallow after the surgery..BUT ..if they still do anesthesia like they did when i was 11..which they probably don't..u know the gas mask..tell them NO MUSIC ..i still remember how awful that was..the doc was blasting music and it was like torture for me...and i'm 43 and a musician..ok..so that was awful..ok..get all cotton socks so his feet stay warm but they have to be cotton..same w/ his underwear i think..and ask for the extra no nausea meds in his anesthesia so he doesn't feel like hell when he wakes up and has to throw up..trust me on that one..don't forget that! put that at the top of the list! anyone who has surgery should ask for that in my opinion!
good luck*

My 6 year old daughter had the same surgery done last spring. I was expecting lots of complaining and whining, but she did great. She never once said it hurt! The only time she complained was when she first woke up in the mornings and her throat was dried out. I would recommend keeping a glass of water by his bed so he can get a drink. Also, she was pretty low energy and grumpy for about a week. I think it was partly because she really wasn't eating that much. Eating ice cream all the time quickly lost it's novelty and didn't keep her well fueled. She could eat soup, applesauce, etc. I made her smootihies with yogurt and added some protein powder to it to try to give her some substance. Her surgery was done using a coblater which really reduces the bleeding--hopefully your surgeon will be using the same. Be prepared--the throat looks disgusting while it is healing with big white scabby things where the tonsils were. And, his breath will be horrible for about a week! Good luck, I hope all goes well. Since the surgery, my daughter has not had a single ear infection and has been much healthier!

Hi P.,

We took our son 8 years old for a second opinion and it turned out he did not need the surgery. Good Luck !

Sincerely,
D.

My daughter had this done when she was about 2. It was hard to watch her afterward. She woke up screaming and literally climbing up my body. Typically, if they go under hard, they wake up hard. Ask them to sedate the child prior to doing any IVs, it will be less traumatic that way. It seemed to be painful for her afterward, even with the liquid Tylenol w/Codeine. She wouldn't talk for 2 days straight. We just held her a lot and had her rest and watch a lot of movies. I hope it goes well for you. Also, I was not prepared for her little voice to change a lot when she did start talking. That was permanent. It's my understanding they don't even do this procedure anymore, unless there are breathing issues and/or a lot of infections. Make sure the procedure is absolutly necessary before putting him through it. The one good thing about doing it as a child is that they recover much, much faster than adults do with the same procedure.

Just let him know that when its over he'll get his favorite soft desert...ice cream...Jello... Pudding etc. It'll be something to look forward to....I know it helped me.
The less he knows about the surgery the better....Just let him know "Its no Big deal..... Daddy and I did it and its nothing.
Good Luck.

HI P.,

Haven't experience this with my kid, but from having had surgery myself as a kid, let him know that he will be asleep, that they will likely give him a pre-op anti-anxiety med (confirm this with your doc) but that when it is time for the operation, they will give him medicine to put hime completely out!

good luck
C.

Hi P.:
Sweet lil guy. The roughest part for him,will be the unfamilar faces,and surroundings. It's a smart idea you preparing him a little.You being right there with him,will ease some of his fears. After surgery,he will be miserable.His throat will be so sore,he won't want a thing. Only real tip I can give ya is Be prepared at home. I bought some of those long pads for the pillows,as they tend to be afraid to swallow,and drewl alot of blood.Ice chips,and popcycles feel good to their throat. Keep plenty on hand.I hope all goes well for your little guy.I'll include him in my prayers.J.

I believe our son was about that age when we decided to have his adenoids removed. We kept the tonsils, since there was no problem with those. We sure made the right decision. The chronic sinus and ear infections cleared up immediately. Yes, I remember him crying when he woke up from the anesthesia, and we were there to hold him and comfort him. He doesn't remember any of it anymore. We were not surprised later with any withheld information. Our doctors were great. Good idea about the pre-surgery orientation. They didn't offer that when we went through it. Good luck.

From my experience (both sons had adenoids out/ear tubes in surgery), it's harder on the parent than the child!

When he wakes up from surgery, he will be disoriented and will probably cry. It doesn't last long, but you'll feel better being there. Don't let them tell you to wait in the waiting room until he's awake. Ask them to tell you when he's in post-op, BEFORE he wakes up, so you can be right outside the door when he is awake. They probably won't tell you that's an option, but it usually is.

Good luck!

All my best,

L.

This is an in and out procedure. Let him know he gets jello, icecream, yogurt and all the other stuff he likes. That will make his day brighter.

J.

When I was 7 years old, I had my tonsils removed. I was scared beforehand until my doctor loaned me. I have no idea what the title was, but it was about a boy who had his tonsils out. You can probably find something similar at the library. I know that there is a whole series of Mr. Rogers Books on medical things for kids.
I've also been on the parent side of a 4 year old having surgery. My daughter had to have surgery to correct her "lazy" eyes. It helped that she had had a number of appointments at Children's Hospital and knew her doctors already. I think the hardest part was that she couldn't have anything to drink. Fortunately, the younger the patient, the earlier in the morning the surgery is scheduled. Thing I wasn't prepared for was all the bleeding of my daughter's eyes and that she threw up a lot after the surgery. You won't have to worry about bleeding from the tonsilectomy though. As far as your son is concerned, it is important to communicate with him that he will be taking a nap while he has the surgery, so it will not hurt and that he will wake up from the nap after the surgery and will get to eat as much ice-cream as he wants. :)

Dear P.,

My son had tonsil/adenoid surgery done 2 years ago when he was about our son's age. He did well. The one thing that the people in the waiting room prepared me for was that about that the doctor didn't tell me was that at about the 4th day, the scabs will fall off from where his tonsils were removed and his throat will be painful for him. The doctor suggested Tylenol for comfort, and lots of liquids. He was a little cranky and irritable for those days, but after that, he did okay. He's done well ever since. The ENT said that when she removed his tonsils, they were pretty infected, so I'm glad we did that surgery. He's quite a thriving little boy now who hardly gets sick and doesn't snore anymore!

Good Luck and God Bless!
B.