Tonsillectomy in Children: Review Article

One of the most frequent surgical operations on children in Australasia is tonsillectomy. For a non-surgical audience, this study attempts to give a current evaluation of the procedure's indications (and the evidence basis for each of these indications), together with a discussion of the surgical technique, perioperative care, and risks. Recurrent pharyngotonsillitis and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are the main causes of tonsillectomy; tonsillectomy is typically done in combination with adenoidectomy for both conditions. Tonsillectomy has been shown to enhance quality of life, child behavior, and objective measurements of OSA in sleep studies. It is less clear how surgery affects cognitive function. Highlights: Common pediatric surgery: Tonsillectomy for recurrent pharyngotonsillitis & obstructive sleep apnea. Benefits: Improves quality of life, behavior, and OSA measurements. Uncertainty: Cognitive effects of surgery remain unclear. Keywords: Tonsillectomy, Children, Review