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COMPLICATIONS OF TONSILLECTOMY

1954; American Medical Association; Volume: 60; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1001/archotol.1954.00720010435004

1538-361X

R. L. WORKS,

Streptococcal Infections and Treatments

ADENOTONSILLECTOMY is a major surgical procedure accompanied with k a varied percentage of mortality, morbidity, and complications. Too great hazards of tonsillectomy lessen its advisability, and there is need for positive "indications for surgery." NEED FOR TONSILLECTOMY The advisability and need for tonsillectomy deserve serious consideration. Lymphatic tissues are a barrier to infection, with phagocytic and autoimmunization functions, and their removal is needed only when they become diseased and a threat to good health. Fairly acceptable indications include the following: (1) obstructions from hypertrophy—causing obstructed nasal breathing, altered voice, snoring, difficult mouth breathing and swallowing, and blocked Eustachian tubes with conductive deafness and retardation in school; (2) chronic tonsillitis—following recurrent acute attacks, regional lymphadenitis, and quinsy; (3) chronic bacterial otitis media, nasosinusitis, and tracheobronchitis; (4) diphtheria and the carrier state for pathogenic streptococci; (5) some neoplasms within the lymphoid tissue; (6) pathologic tonsils associated with evidence of systemic ill effects.