Remove tonsils to treat recurring tonsillitis in children

MUNICH - Children who have frequent bouts of tonsillitis should have their tonsils removed, the German Association of Paediatricians based in Munich recommended.

Parents of infants whose tonsils are infected more than six times a year or school children with tonsillitis more than five times a year, should ask a doctor if an operation to remove the tonsils might make sense.

“During infection, small pits known as crypts form on the tonsils. They can provide a haven for bacteria that, in turn, can infect other organs such as the heart or kidneys,” explains Thomas Fendel,a paediatrician in Munich.

However, if the tonsils are only causing difficult breathing or swallowing or are just oversized, then an operation for their complete removal is not necessary.

In cases such as these, the crypts on the surface of the tonsil can be sealed with the aid of a laser.

After the operation there is a risk of bleeding in the throat. Children spend on average five days in hospital as a precaution.

In some cases they can be discharged after two days, if they feel well enough. Children should not drink sour fruit juices, fizzy drinks or hard food such as bread crusts for two weeks after the operation to allow the throat tissue to heal,” advises Fendel.

Tonsillitis is one of the most common causes of illness in German children under the age of 15 and in 2003, 1.4 million children in that age group were admitted to hospitals with infected tonsils. Of that group, 129,000 suffered from a chronic form of the infection.

DPA

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