Tonsillectomies to treat chronic and recurrent tonsillitis substantially improve a patient's quality of life in both children and adults, suggest two new studies published in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. In one study, adult patients showed improvement in all six subscales of the Tonsil and Adenoid Health Status Instrument (TAHSI), a scale used to measure the quality of life (QOL) of patients pre- and post-procedure. Among the scale-related findings, 98 percent reported fewer infections in the six months following surgery, with 77 percent expressing strong satisfaction with the surgery results. Patients also reported substantially fewer cases of persistent bad breath and sore throats.
In the study involving children, 92 patients also showed significant improvements when measured with the same TAHSI scale, including airway and breathing, infection, health care utilization, cost of care, eating and swallowing, and behavior. Among the study's findings were significant decreases in number of sore throats, antibiotic courses, days missed from daycare/school, doctor visits, and persistent halitosis.
Tonsillectomy remains one of the most common procedures performed on children each year, and while the number of incidences in adults is lower, it is still a routine operation. The current clinical guidelines recommend tonsillectomy for children with three or more documented tonsil infections in the span of a year.
Source: American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
