The 7-year-old son of one of my colleagues is scheduled for a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy soon. He’s excited about the popsicles he’s been promised. His mother is not excited.
Sources differ regarding the frequency of this surgery. The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, in their current clinical practices guideline, references 289,000 as the number of cases performed annually in children less than 15 years of age. The Tonsillectomy educational article in StatPearls references 500,000 for the same group.
Either way, the number is much reduced from that in the 1950s and `60s, when many physicians recommended tonsillectomies almost as a matter of course: in 1959, 1.4 million tonsillectomies were performed in the US. But a panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health concluded in 1978 that the benefits of a preemptive tonsillectomy did not outweigh the risks. Since then, the merits and drawbacks of the procedure, as well as different approaches, have been much studied and discussed.
Scroll down for some information about tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy, plus one unrelated news item that we found fascinating.
Take good care.
Tonsillectomy Resources
Do We Need Our Tonsils? (Popular Science, July 2025)
“Science is slowly revealing more about the misunderstood organs,” states this article written for the layperson. It summarizes the history of tonsillectomy, discusses changing attitudes about the tonsils and adenoids, and provides a nice graphic illustrating the anatomy in question.
Read more . . .
Tonsillectomy (StatPearls, updated 2023)
This article, written for the healthcare professional, provides a good summary including anatomy, indications, complications, and more, as well as equipment, personnel and techniques used.
Read more . . .
Tonsillectomy-Comparative Study of Various Techniques and Changing Trend (Indian Jornal of Otolaryngol Head & Neck Surgery, 2017)
“There has been a conceptual change in the indications and surgical technique in the last 40 years,” reads the abstract of this article. “A comparative study between the various methods of tonsillectomy was done. . . . set up by the same surgeon but using different techniques.”
Read more . . .
Tonsillectomy in Children: Update to Guidelines for Treating and Managing Care (American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2019)
Summary for clinicians and caregivers on the indications and the perioperative management of children undergoing tonsillectomy.
Read more . . .
Other Surgical News
Doctors surgically remove massive hairball causing an intestinal obstruction in a nine-year-old girl
“A nine-year-old girl . . . was admitted to FV Hospital’s emergency department with severe abdominal pain,” reads the opening of this January 8 press release from FV Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
“Examinations revealed a rare and serious condition. Her gastrointestinal tract was completely obstructed by a large hairball nearly one meter long, tightly coiled from the stomach down into the small intestine. This mass caused both intestinal obstruction and volvulus, creating a life-threatening situation. To avoid open surgery and minimize risk, doctors successfully combined two endoscopic techniques to remove the obstruction and ensure the child’s safety.” The article goes on to discuss trichophagia, a habit of pulling out one’s hair and eating it, a disorder linked to stress and anxiety.
Read more . . .
Videos
Tonsillectomy – from an ENT surgeon working in the UK. Removal of the palatine tonsils using bipolar dissection technique.
Watch video. . .
Adenoidectomy – from the Icahn School of Medicine. Mount Sinai pediatric and general otolaryngologists perform adenoidectomy on a patient with obstructive sleep apnea.
Watch video. . .
Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy using Electrocautery Technique – from the Mayo Clinic.
Watch video. . .
In The Spotlight: Keith Bridges
Credentials
MSN, APRN, FNP-C, CRNFA, CNOR
Student Status
Graduated from NIFA’s RNFA program in 2020
City & State
Mansfield, TX
Current Position
Surgical Nurse Practitioner First Assistant; Instructor in NIFA’s RNFA program
What made you choose nursing in the first place?
I accidentally came across the nursing profession as a declared major at my university, West Coast University. I originally wanted to be an MRI technologist when I was in high school, but my friend convinced me to go to the university instead of the community college where my radiology program would be. Once I decided to go to the university with my friend, they did not have a radiology program there. I thought nursing was the closest major to radiology, so I picked that and the rest is history!
How did you come to choose perioperative nursing?
My entire medical profession career is in surgical services. I was first hired as a sterile processing technician straight out of high school. I spent a total of nine years working in that department. Once I completed my Bachelor of Science in Nursing, I quickly transitioned to the Operating Room. After three years of working in the OR, I decided to get certified with my CNOR, then immediately continued to achieve my RNFA through NIFA. About a week after completing the NIFA RNFA program, I started to pursue my Master of Science in Nursing via the Family Nurse Practitioner program.
When did you first get involved with NIFA?
I started my NIFA journey in May of 2019 and finished in August of 2020. I did attend at that time in October of 2019 the 6-day SutureStar™ Workshop that was offered within the program. About a year after graduating from the NIFA program, I decided to attend the SutureStar™ three-day Refresher course that NIFA offers to sharpen and reinforce some of my suturing skills that I felt needed to be fine-tuned. It was after that Refresher course that I received an offer to become an instructor at the workshops and help incoming RNFA candidates progress through their journey as a first assistant in the OR.
What do you enjoy about teaching at the SutureStar™ Workshops?
I completely love teaching at the SutureStar™ Workshops whenever I possibly can. Helping teach others within this setting helps reaffirm my skills as a first assistant in the OR. Since most of our students come from all over the United States and some from Canada, it also allows me to see how other facilities and institutions practice and interpret the recommended guidelines for the OR. One advantage about teaching that I absolutely embrace is the networking that I believe to be priceless.
What is one interest or ability you have outside of surgical skills that might surprise people?
A main interest that I have outside of my surgical skills would be country dancing. I have been enjoying this talent since 2010 and love expressing my skills out on the dance floor.
NIFA – Office Hours
Monday-Thursday, 8:00am – 4:00pm
Friday, 8:00am – 3:00pm
Practice Resources
Here are several of the most-in-demand sites for our students, prospective students and grads:
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter are strictly those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of NIFA. NIFA does not give any express or implied warranty as to the accuracy of statements made by our contributors and does not accept any liability for error or omission. It is the responsibility of all perioperative personnel to work within and adhere to their facility bylaws and individual scope of practice.
Tonsillectomy, with or without adenoidectomy, is a much-performed surgical procedure in the US, usually to treat recurrent throat infections or sleep-disordered breathing in pediatric or adult patients. 