37 answers

Tonsils and Adenoids Removed

My daughter is 5 yrs old and has had problems with snoring for a while now. We seen our family dr and he referred us to an ear,nose,&throat dr. We went to see the ENT today and as soon as he looked at my daughters tonsils he said they were very large and there was barely any room in between them. He said they are probably closing during the night due to he size and the fact that she breathes through her mouth while sleeping. She matches all the symptoms of sleep apnea as well. He said the only cure is to remove the tonsils and adenoids so I am calling tomorrow to set up the surgery date. I am terrified needless to say. The thought of my little girl being put to sleep and going through the recovery breaks my heart. I know you ladies are great at giving advice and I was wondering if anyone had any insight on this surgery for a young child or any suggestions. Thanks so much!

1 mom found this helpful

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So What Happened?™

So today was the surgery. We have been home for several hours and she seems to be doing very well. She is pitiful though and I was definetly a bigger mess today than she was :) The dr told us no dairy bc it creates the mucus feeling on the back of your throat so i told her we would have a popsicle party for several days :) she liked that idea! Thank you so much to all the wonderful moms who gave advice or comforting words to me. It really did help prepare me for this soo much!

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My daughter used to snore and had sleep apnea from birth until she had her t&a taken out at 3 1/2.

The surgery was about 30 minutes and her recovery went great (once I got her home). I took her home from the hospital the day of the surgery, she slept for a few hours, woke up and asked for a grilled cheese sandwich lol. We actually went to the park for a couple hours the next day.

My suggestions would be;

1. do NOT let them give her a seditive before the surgery. The nurse told me after my daughter woke up that most kids become angry/violent from it (it would have been helpful to know that before I let them give it to her).

2. Explain to your daughter that she will wake up with an IV in her arm. I didn't think to do that and mine freaked when she woke up.

3. Insist that they let you back in the waiting area BEFORE they bring your daughter back there so you are the first one she see's when she gets up. They told me they would do that and didn't.

She will sleep so much better and you will both be happier after the surgery is done. Good luck.

2 moms found this helpful

K.:
My little boy had his tonsils/adenoids out in March 2008. It was the best thing we could do as he has not been sick at all this year. It is scary, but my experience was, I was with him until they had to take him back and then I went to the waiting room. I wasn't there long, about 20 minutes and the doc came out and talked to me to let me know things went ok. The longest wait for me was while he was in recovery. It really helps if you talk to your child and explain things to them. I did him. I also let him take his favorite stuffed animal with him and "Shark" also got his tonsils out that day. Be honest and let her know it will be painful at first, but it will be better soon and then she will not have the problems.

One thing I found that helped was I woke him and gave him his pain meds even when he was asleep. I also woke him every couple hours and had him take a little sip or two of water to keep his throat moist as it seemed to hurt more when he didn't drink and it got dry. I also used a cool mist humidifer in his room.

I can say my mom didn't have my tonsils out and now I am 44 and may have to get them out as I am starting to have problems with them like I did when I was younger. Much better to do it at a younger age.

If I can be of any help, please do not hesitate to e-mail me at ____@____.com luck!

1 mom found this helpful

While I know the surgery scares you, it is for the best. I had mine removed at her age and it really helped me. Look at it this way, you can now have an even bigger excuse to give her all the ice cream she wants & you can have some too.

My son was in the 1st grade when he had his tonsils removed, he is now 16. The hardest part is keeping them "down" during the recovery. No running or jumping, could cause bleeding. When my sons was done, they also said nothing red, like kool aide or pop cicles. No ice cream or milk based products. Have a TV with lots of favorite movies, cartoons, video games, to help pass the time during recovery.

My now 8 year old daughter had her tonsils and adenoids removed when she was 5 years old. It is about a 20 minute procedure and totally routine. The recovery was not as bad for my girl as everyone says. I STRONGLY recommend you give her a washcloth to carry around the first day. (not that she walked around that much...she basically sat on the couch and slept). My daugther used that to spit into so she wouldn't have to swallow as much and it made a HUGE difference! Also, don't force her to drink and eat if she's not ready. My daughter ate and drank nothing the 1st 24 hours, but then felt better the 2nd day ( I think she got used to the pain a little bit) and was able to take a popsicle and some water. They will not dehydrate in 24 hours so it's ok! They say 10 days to fully recover, but my daughter was basically back to her old self in 5 to 7 days. Hope this helps. Please let me know how it goes. I'll be praying for you! It is definitely more stressful on mom then the child!!!!!

My daughter had her adenoids removed with her second ear tubes when she was 2 1/2 and her tonsils out when she was 3 1/2. Both were out patient surgeries and I got to hold her when she went in to recovery. With tonsils she was sore for a couple of days and only ate popcicles. She had two other surgeries also when she was 4 and 8 and did well. My daughter and son are grown now and I have a six month old grandson who had open heart surgery at 3 months and is doing well. J.

My daughter is 19 months and we just had her adenoids removed and she got tubes placed in her ears. Her tonsils are larger but the ENT did not want to remove them because she is so young. I was scarred when I thought about this being surgery and when we first got to the hospital. This is going to be harder on you then on your daughter. The surgery was quick and after a few hours my daughter was running around and back to her normal self. The only thing I think with her tonsils being removed is that she will have a sore throat and can only have liquids, popsicles, and ice cream. My daughter now falls asleep on her own when we had to rock her to sleep prior to the surgery and sleeps throughout the night. She can now breathe so much better. This will make things a lot easier for you and your child. Hope it helps!!!

I'm sure that your doctor has referred you to a good surgeon. There is no need for worry just prayer. I had my daughter's done at age 6. She was herself in a couple of days. My husband had his done a week later and it took him 2 weeks to recover. Her throat will be sore for a few days and you just give her a lot of liquids and soft foods. She will be fine.

God bless.

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