Tonsils and Adenoids removed due to snoring and sleep apnea?

Dizzy - posted on 03/20/2013

Think positive :) I am sure that your daughter's surgery will be a success :)

Dizzy - posted on 03/20/2013

I apologize ladies for the late reply. I haven't had a chance to be online, It has been two months since the Adenotonsillectomy procedure, First night was less painful. They prescribe him 5ml of Oxycodone every 6 hours for the pain and just three hours after surgery he was eating mashed potatoes, chicken soup and a lot of ice cream. We stayed overnight at the hospital. Since previous years believe it or not a two boys died and a girl made it on time after being at home after surgery. I do want to address that since he was 2 1/2 years old i started noticing a bit of difficulty mentioned it to he's pediatrician and they told me he had minor allergies, still not convinced since he started getting sick quite often from cough, flu, throat infection, constant nose bleeds. Finally tired i changed pediatricians he about 3-4 years old . I also mentioned my concerns but she told me that he was only suffering from allergies. I was annoyed because it just did not feel right. As he was getting older obstructive sleep apnea was progressing again changed to another pediatrician and she mention the same thing allergies, and that she also noticed he was very hyperactive and i should even take him to get some behavioral tests done. Obviously i didn't because to me he did not seem hyper. Yes he would not concentrate but at that age who does? So last year 2012 i started studying to become a CNA and took a medical terminology class. By the end of September 2012 as i am looking for a job i heard him and immediately came to mind sleep apnea. How blind was i ??? That whole night i started doing research on it and sure enough he had all the symptoms so started looking for a OTOLARYNGOLOGIST that focused only on children, I found ANKUR M. PATEL, DO, MPH at CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES. I spoke to him about my concerns and what i had read about the two boys dying. He told me the reason of their deaths and assured me he would be using the same pain medication since the FCC prohibits them from using Motrin and Tylenol, and he would be using an Analgesic which is the Oxycodone. Any concerns you might have always let the physician know, if you feel something is wrong go with your gut feeling. I hope this helps a bit more. Last words, i can honestly say , that now he sleeps like a baby.

Denikka - posted on 03/08/2013

I WISH someone had given me this surgery when I was young. I'm 23 now and had the surgery scheduled 3 different times between the ages of 16 and 20 and every time, something had come up that prevented me from going in. I finally got so fed up that I gave up and haven't tried again (although I would like to, but the recovery time kind of scares me since I have no support system here plus I have 2 kids and one on the way).

My brother had his done when he was young. He had constant BAD infections, so bad that he could barely eat or drink. He was so relieved after the surgery that, when most kids are feeling kinds gross and in pain and can only eat icecream or jello, he actually asked for a hamburger because the pain from the surgery was so much LESS than the pain from the infections.

If it came down to it for my kids, I would do it in a heartbeat. I know what a pain it can be like to live with sleep apnea (due to an obstructed airway) and how horrible the frequent infections can be. It's SO much better to do it while they're young. They won't remember it (the pain, scary experience, etc) as much, kids recover more easily and more quickly, they won't have to take time off school (or work if they have to wait for adulthood). Just better all around in my mind :)

Nichole - posted on 03/08/2013

My daughter is sheduled for it next month.f
I too am worried, as alo moms are naturally before any surgical procedure. My daughter mad a seep study done and was diagnosed wth sleep apnea. The thought of her to stop breathing in the night wsrries me more. That thought alone helps me decide thi is the right decison. I have requested for the Dr. to admit her overnight. I feel if we stay 24hrs would ease my mind if any complications arrise to have a nursing staff on hand.
Now, as for the comment below of the adnoids growing back within 6months and have surgery again... I will have this concern address with our ENT Dr. No one wants to do back to back surgery.
Yet, even if he says they may or may not grow back I will still have the surgery due to her sleep apnea. That scares me most.
Good luck Moms with all your decisions. Hope mine helped you too ♥

Dizzy - posted on 01/20/2013

My 6 yr old just had he's tonsils & adenoids removed 4 days ago, although painful to see them suffer through any pain I feel it was the right and best decision. Knowing that he finally going to get a good night sleep without any problems made me feel at ease with my decision.

Richard - posted on 01/18/2013

Many times if a palate is narrow this can cause snoring.Is your child sleepy and tiored during the day. Is there any bedwetting. Is there inattentiveness at school, or other problems. Many times palate widening stops snoring. If this were my child and they had some of these other symptoms, I would get an overnight sleep study. The gold standard now for pediatric snoring and apnea is tomsils and adenoid removal and palate widening if needed by an orthodontist
I am an lorthodontist and just gave a talk to dentists here in Cincinnati.
Dr. Richard Wolterman-nomad99@cinci.rr.com

Zezo - posted on 10/24/2012

My son (11) had big tonsils (grade3) and a big adenoid (70 %)and he was snoring at the same time.He had 1 or 2 strep infections but a lot of colds and sore throats a year.Our ENT doctor decided for the surgery after the sleep apnea test because it turned out that he had moderate sleep apnea and it has no cure with medications.He had the surgery 3 days ago.It went really well,no problem with anesthesia,he has some pain that he says not worse than when he had the strep infections:)) It was a hard decision for us but our doctor told us he is going to get in puberty,a period that he will grow fast if he sleeps well.I think you should follow your doctor's advice.Good luck

Veronica - posted on 10/20/2012

I know how hard this decision is for you. You only want what ia beat for your baby. From personal experience, I would say yes. But only you can make this call. My daughter had the same issue as your child. We did 2 seperate sleep studies and each time she snored louder than a train and would wake about 20 times an hour because she had stopped breathing. Do what your heart tells you. If you pray, then pray about it. Get more opinions if you're atill not sure. I wish you the best and will keep you and your baby in my prayers.

Kristina - posted on 10/20/2012

MMy son was 18 months when he started having trouble with his and was told they need to be removed but he was to young. He finally had them removed at 3 and by that time he was snoring so very sounded like a freight train coming through the house and the sleep apnea was worse just before he had surgery we took him to the er because he would stop breathing for such long periods. I was actually relieved when the surgery was over.

Cathy - posted on 10/17/2012

Hi! I also have the same feeling as Theresa. I have a daughter with Down Syndrome and she's 4 yrs old and her ENT doctor ordered a sleep study and explained why it needs to be removed. He also mentioned the recovery could take up to 1 week due to pain in swallowing. I'm worried about my daughter going through the surgery and the recovery. Any further experience you've had definitely help!! Thanks!

Suni - posted on 10/13/2012

I had mine taken out when I was about 8. I can't say it helped with the snoring but it did help cut back on sore throats & infections. It was really painful after the surgery so stock up on lots of ice cream & jello & he should pull through well!!

Jennifer - posted on 10/13/2012

My son had his removed when he was 4. It was the best thing we could have done for him. After the surgery he slept much better & had a better life over all. His adenoids were always swollen & when they removed his tonsils, they were each a half inch! No wonder he snored like a tug boat. Good luck with your choice!

Vicki - posted on 10/08/2012

My eight year old had his tonsils and adenoid taken out a year ago. He suffered from sleep apnea and was constantly snoring and gasping in his sleep. I was very worried about putting him through the surgery, and at first, my husband was dead set against it. Once he talked to the doctor and had a look at our son's HUGE tonsils, he was ok with it. A few things the doctors (and my research didn't talk about): my son could not talk for the first ten days (he wrote everything down for us); popsicles and icecream were painful for him to swallow, and he preferred luke warm chicken noodle broth (they cannot have anything hot) and Danimals smoothies; and, it was very challenging to get him to drink enough fluids. I feared for him becoming dehydrated and often threatened him about the E.R. until he would finally let me give him beverages via a dropper.

His snoring and breathing improved immediately!. My son's recovery was exhausting and frustrating, but, like magic, on day 10 he was eating soft foods, drinking normally, and talking!

Peggy - posted on 10/07/2012

If you are worried, get a sleep study before surgery. That will confirm an apnea situation if there is one.

Tracy - posted on 10/07/2012

My 12 year daughter was almost six when she had her tonsils removed because of snoring. She sure slept quietly after that! I don't think she needed her tonsils removed to prevent the snoring, only the adenoids, but they liked to do them together.

I had my adenoids out when I was 8 or 9, and in my teens had chronic sore throats(never strep), culminating in a bout of abscessed tonsils( my tonsils were swollen with pus and I had difficulty breathing) they were removed. A tonsillectomy at age 17 was very painful and I had a longer recovery time. This is why I decided to have let the doctor remove both, instead of just the adenoids.

As a bonus, they put my daughter's second set of ear tubes in at the same time. She hasn't had any problems with her throat since then.

Nitasha - posted on 10/04/2012

Hi Thersa, i am having the excat same problem as you, my child was diagnosed with the excat same problem, i have been searching Google to see of there is medication that can be used, please advise if you did the opp and how is your child coping now, we were advise to remove it as my child has all the symtoms and has huge slleping problems.

Lisa - posted on 09/30/2012

Our son had both his tonsils and adenoids removed when he was 3 1/2 years old due to repeated infections of strep throat, tonsillitis, and sleep apnea. At his young age, he recovered very quickly, and ever since then he has not had any problems with sleep apnea or snoring or strep throat. He also rarely gets sick now (as opposed to coming down with EVERYTHING he came across before his surgery) and when he does get sick it is very mild and he gets better quickly. I wouldn't change my decision for anything, and I truly believe you are doing the best thing for your child. Good luck to you!

Amanda - posted on 09/30/2012

I myself had them removed when I was 11 years old for that reason. I never slept through the night, I was scared to fall asleep because I would wake up gasping for air. I would get it done again in a heartbeat, I also have a narrow passage as well.

Bobbie - posted on 09/30/2012

After a dog attack my daughter had plastic surgery. She was just 3. When she was under she apparently had trouble due to enlarged adenoids. They had me follow up with an ENT.

I decided to get only her adenoids taken out rather than the tonsils as well. She slept very well with her adenoids out but keeping her tonsils turned out to be a mistake. She had constant bouts with strep throat and infections. As a teen she had to go through surgery a second time to take out her tonsils.

I think the ENT specialist wouldn't steer you wrong. Sleep apnea is not something you can ignore. If you recall the fisherman on one of those reality shows died in his sleep at age 31 from sleep apnea. He had lost his mother to the same condition when she was in her early 30's from it as well. I wonder, did the ENT that said he would grow out of it offer you any suggestions for better sleep such as a cpap machine? I use one every night and if surgery would save me from strapping on that big ole mask I would do it.

Karen - posted on 09/29/2012

My son was just two when he has his out and it's really improved his sleeping and snoring. I was nervous at first but he has never been a good sleeper and I had already tried everything else. You do need to be comfortable with it, but it is easier I think when they are younger

Theresa - posted on 09/29/2012

Our daughter had her adenoids done when she had to have a gromits, it took till she was seven for the doctors to do them as she had constant ear infections, but as she was seven we had to wait two years to find out if she would have any lasting damage as the ear drum was con caved. She had always snored really badly too, you used to hear her downstairs with bedroom door closed. She came home the same day and apart from being sleepy,a little sore and the shocked supprise of hearing properly, she kept telling us everytime she heard small noises!!She is now 14 and only has the occasional ear infection. i would follow the advice you have had if its going to make a big difference, as a parent it is never easy to know if its the right thing I dreaded the day of her op and when she went down was the longest time of my life. Good luck and hope it goes well!!

Melissa - posted on 09/28/2012

Both my 8-yr-old and 11-yr-old have had their tonsils and adenoids removed because they were enlarged and both had snoring problems and one had infection issues. They are both SO much better. Definitely glad we did the surgery. One was 4 and one was 5 years old when it was done, and the recovery was relatively smooth and easy. Just remember hydration is the key to healing if/when you have it done.

Mildred - posted on 09/24/2012

Our son's were removed when he was 2 but not because of snoring or sleep apnea. He had constant ear infections and sore throat, spent 6 months on course after course of antibiotics. After he got them out, the recovery time was quick and his health improved dramatically!

in your case, since you have 2 different "expert" opinions, I would wait simply because YOU are not convinced going with surgery is the right decision. His condition is obviously not life threatening so if you wait, you may feel better about having it done later, or he may out-grow it, in which case you'll be glad he was spared the trauma. If you go ahead when you feel unsure, you can't undo it later, and if something doesn't go well, you'll feel bad about that.

You didn't mention how old your son is?



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Tricia - posted on 09/11/2012

I also saw a specialist who told me the same thing, I chose not to schedule surgery because my daughter snores but does not wake up in the night. If your instinct said schedule, go with your instinct. Best advice my pediatrician ever gave me.

Molly - posted on 09/07/2012

I had it done when I was a child for the same reason, and it was a huge help.

Joyce - posted on 09/07/2012

My 8 year old son had it done when he was 2 years old becsuse they were to big and he was snoring and couldnt breathe. He recovered well. He doesnt get sick like he used to. He sleeps well at night. Im glad the surgery was done

Annie - posted on 09/06/2012

My son had his removed at the age of 4 because of snoring and health. He's 6 now and things have really been better since having them removed. You can't go wrong get it done.

Amanda - posted on 09/06/2012

I had my sons adenoids removed because of excessive snoring. They have now grown back within 6 months of the surgery and I am now waiting for an a date for him to have both tonsils and adenoids redone. He has snoring is unbearable and he has sleep apenea and behvioural problems.

Tamika - posted on 09/06/2012

My oldest son had his done at the age of 4. It has help him out a lot. He was having constant nose bleeds and every time he got overheated or even throughout the night when he got hot. Since then he has had no more nosebleeds, no more snoring, and now I'm going through the same thing with one of my 4 year old twin boys. With them breathing like that it constantly keeps them from sleeping well because their brains are constantly awakening because of lack of oxygen. The surgery went great, he had to eat popsicles and soups for about 2 weeks andcouldn't play extremely hard because he could scratch his throat and cause bleeding. He is back to his normal self and I am so glad no more nosebleeds!!

Aimee - posted on 09/06/2012

My son's were removed when he was 31/2. He was snoring really bad while sleeping and it took him awhile to fall asleep. It was also very difficult wo wake up. We were sent to and ENT that said his tonsils were "rotten", his words. He explained that when he was asleep his airway was so small that his brain didn't let him "fall" asleep. I was the best decision that my husband and I made for the health of our child. His little sister is starting with some of the same problems and I look for hers to have to be removed in time. Follow you God given instinct as a mom and know you are doing the right thing!

Mandi - posted on 09/06/2012

I had my adenoids removed when I was four due to snoring. The doctors did not believe in removing tonsils at the time so I still have them. I have had chronic strep throat my entire life as well as extremely large tonsils. I wish they would have removed the tonsils too. In my opinion you are doing the right thing. Good luck!!!

Dina - posted on 09/05/2012

My son was diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adnoids when he was 2.

The doctor's wanted to wait to remove them to see if he would grow into them, but the tonsils and adnoids just kept growing...it got to the point where he was having trouble sleeping, was having chronic tonsilitis and constantly on anti-biotics.

At age 4 we had them removed and he is doing so much better.

Not only does he sleep better but it also helped improve his speech, and he doesn't get sick nearly as often.



The younger they get the sugery done the quicker the recovery is, my son was trying to run down the hall of the hospital with his IV pole while kids 3-4 years older then him where bed ridden.

Jenny - posted on 09/05/2012

We had our daughters removed becuase of snoring like a grown man. LOl SHe is so much better now. She sleeps better and longer and has more energy now. I would do it. She wass 4 when it was done and the recovery was nothing for her. She was better almost the next day.