Tonsillectomy... help!

[Tattoomom]

Starting to have my reservations about Ava's T&A surgery! The closer it gets, the more I want to back out!! I'm not afraid of the anesthesia or the actual surgery really, just the recovery. She doesn't heal very well. The first few years of her life, she had a compromised immune system and even at 4 years old, she gets infections very easily. I'm sooooo worried about her getting an infection and regretting letting anyone cut on my girl! The child ended up in the ER a few months ago with a massive infection on her foot from stepping on something that barely broke the skin!

 

Is this surgery really worth it?? She never had high titers so that's not something we're watching. We're just trying to eliminate strep. I've heard mixed reviews about T&A keeping strep away.

[JoyBop]

Is there any strong indication for the surgery? Usually insurance won't pay for the surgery without meeting certain criteria such as many strep infections per year or sleep apnea. My dd has enormous tonsils but that isn't enough reason to take them out. We just returned home from a sleep study to determine if she does have obstructive apnea. I am doubting it, but like you, I don't want to put my dd through a surgery if it isn't completely warranted. Our pandas knowledgable ENT has done t&as on many PANDAS patients with mixed results. You can still get strep without tonsils although it "may" lessen the frequency. I can totally appreciate your apprehension. That is exactly the reason I just endured a sleepless night in a hospital hours from home. I figure if there is real data and concern for a good reason to do the surgery I will go through with it and take it as it comes knowing I made the best decision. But I was not willing to do the surgery on a whim that it might help her situation, even though it sounds tempting. With that said, two other children of mine had the surgery for severe apnea and it went very well so I have had good experience and results. My oldests recovery was very difficult due to the size of his tonsils. Healing took weeks not days like my second child. He went into surgery with a neck as wide as his face and came out with a pencil neck. The doctor had never seen such large tonsils that tendrilled down someone's throat. My second child was back to his old self in a matter of days.

Edited July 27, 2013 by JoyBop

[Tattoomom]

She's had several strep infections, even breakthrough strep.

[JoyBop]

Just curious, how many positive cultures in a year? Our dr says 5-7 in a year or chronic tonsillitis is grounds for removal. My kids have chronically high titres but don't swab positive on abx. What are the reasons for doing the T&A? The way we look at anything medical is by asking do the benefits outweigh the risks. I'm speaking from my own experience when I say we decided not to do the surgery unless it was truly indicated. I know there are risks and I didn't want to go into that lightly. It comes down to trust in your dr. Have you discussed abx prior to and during the procedure?

I've heard mixed results Re the effectiveness of avoiding future strep infections from a T&A. Both my older kids have has strep infections. FYI, they don't have tonsils or PANDAS. Keep in mind that this is an immune disorder, not a tonsil issue. So while removing the tonsils may decrease the frequency of infection, it may not help the immune system rid itself if the bacteria or prevent future infections. That's why I will only do the surgery if my kid meets today's full criteria for the operation. Some docs will do it without, but I choose a more specific route. You have to follow your gut on this one. You will gain reassurance from your doc and his plan of before, during and after abx for optimal safety. Best of luck!!