Think Twice About Tonsil, Adenoid Removal

[KenH]

"Having tonsils removed in childhood is supposed to end chronic earaches and breathing problems. But what if it also increases risk of respiratory infections?

"We found that long-term risks of diseases -- in particular respiratory, allergic and infectious diseases -- were substantially increased after surgery up to 30 years of age," said Sean Byars, lead researcher of a new study.

Those respiratory diseases include asthma and pneumonia, the study authors said.

Given these higher odds for certain illnesses, it's wise to consider long-term health before removing a child's tonsils and adenoids, the researchers concluded."

Think Twice About Tonsil, Adenoid Removal

 

[church mouse guy]

It used to be done almost automatically. I think my tonsils were removed about 1946.

I thought that people stopped doing that decades ago.

 

[Gold Dragon]

It used to be done almost automatically. I think my tonsils were removed about 1946.

I thought that people stopped doing that decades ago.

Yes it has been a long time since the practice of "routine" tonsillectomy.

There are legitimate reasons to get tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies and like all medical decisions it is weighing risk vs benefit.

With regard to this study it is an example of the difficulty of identfying correlation vs causation and how study design is important in being able to answer the right scientific question. It is also an example of how medical reporting can mislead lay people to the wrong conclusion. Is it that the surgery increased the risk of those infections or is there something else like the patient genetics or environment that makes the surgery AND respiratory infections more likely to happen? An observational study like this one cannot make that distinction.