What happens during tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy?
Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) surgery is a common major surgery performed on children in the US. About 400,000 surgeries are performed each year. The need for a T&A will be determined by your child’s ear, nose, and throat surgeon and discussed with you. Most T&A surgeries are done on an outpatient basis. This means that your child will have surgery and then go home the same day. Some children may be required to stay overnight, such as, but not limited to, children who: • are not drinking well after surgery. • have other chronic diseases or problems with seizures. • have complications after surgery, such as bleeding. • are younger than 3 years of age. Before the surgery, you will meet with different members of the healthcare team who are going to be involved with your child’s care. These may include: • day surgery nurses – nurses who prepares your child for surgery. Operating room nurses assist the physicians during surgery. Recovery room (also called the Post Anesthesia Care Un
