Adenoid removal is surgery to take out the adenoid glands, these glands sit behind your nose above the roof of your mouth. Air passes over these glands when you take a breath, the adenoids are often taken out at the same time as the tonsils. Adenoid removal is also called adenoidectomy; this procedure is often done to children but in some cases in adults. In most cases if this surgery is performed it will cut down on the ear infections, fevers, and swelling of the throat.
In childhood, adenoids and tonsils are believed to play a role in fighting infections by producing antibodies that attack bacteria entering the body through the mouth and nose. In adulthood however, it is unlikely that the adenoids are involved in maintaining health, and they normally shrink and disappear. There can be many reasons why an emergency adenoidectomy is performed because of a blocked passage way, constant bleeding of an adenoid or adenoids, or cancer of the tonsil.
The doctor may also recommend an adenoidectomy for an elective, non-emergent reason to help with the ear aches, fever, and swelling. In these reasons the doctor will compare the risks and benefits of the surgery. Some of the elective reasons would be simple things that could help with your breathing or your everyday life. Enlarged adenoids causing sleep apnea and sleep disturbances that will throb until taken out, enlarged adenoids can cause obstruction of the eustachian tube.
If there is an obstruction in the eustachian tube the doctor might put tubes in your ears to balance it out. Chronic sinusitis and colds can happen a lot when your adenoids are enlarged and inflamed and can cause recurrent ear infections. What to expect for your patient before surgery is very simple and following the directions of the doctor and the care team will make the situation better and heal faster. Before the surgery, the doctor or surgeon will tell you not to give your child medications like ibuprofen or aspirin, exactly one week before the scheduled surgery.
These known drugs increase the risk of non-stop bleeding during the surgery and can cause major hemorrhaging after the surgery. If your patient is on daily medications, you will need to know what they are and document that in there record. The surgical center or hospital will call to let you know what time the surgery will take place and where to check in and any updated information that needs to be gone over with the patient. Aspiration is a risk to anyone under going anesthesia, the patient will also get instructions about eating and drinking.
Usually speaking eating and drinking should be avoided after midnight the night before the surgery, and should only be consumed with water if you have medications to take prior to the surgery. Before your surgery there will be a nurse or patient care technician to take your vitals and write them down on your pre-operative sheet so they can have something to compare after your surgery and see what is normal and abnormal. The patient will then sign all the necessary papers including the consent form and the patient will wait in the pre-operative waiting room.
After this is all completed a nurse will give you a narcotic drug in a liquid form and give the patient about 15 to 20 minutes of letting the drug kick in and do its job. They will take you to the operating room and begin surgery; the surgeon will be able to remove the adenoids through the mouth by making several small incisions. The surgeon will cauterize the site once the adenoids are removed, this involves destroying the tissues in the area to stop the bleeding.
An adenoidectomy generally will only take about 20 minutes and after surgery the patient will be taken to the post-operative room to be closely watched by a nurse. The nurse will be looking at how sleepy the child or adult is, how close his or her vital signs are to those taken before the surgery, if he or she is in pain, and if he or she is able to eat and drink without vomiting. Risks and complications include those associated with surgery and anesthesia. Few complications are known to occur after this surgery, very rarely bleeding.
Bleeding is more a concern with a very young child because he or she often will not notice but for this reason, a child is always kept in observation at the hospital or clinic for a few hours after the operation. If bleeding does occur, the surgeon may insert a pack of gauze into the nose to stop the blood flow for removal after a day or two. The other possible complications are those with any operation, including infection of the operated area, which may result in light bleeding, increased pain, and fever. This infection is usually treated with antibiotics, bed rest, and lots of fluids.
Adenoidectomy is an operation that has very good outcomes, and patients are expected to make a full and quick recovery once the initial pain has subsided. Adenoid tissue rarely regrows, but some instances have been reported and on some cases the surgeon will go back in and correct the issue if it is bad enough. References; 1. http://www. medicalnewstoday. com/articles/232399. php 2. http://www. medicinenet. com/adenoidectomy_surgical_instructions/article. htm 3. http://emedicine. medscape. com/article/872216-overview.