Tonsillitis

The tonsils are two clumps of tissue on each side of the throat. If they become enlarged or infected they can cause recurrent throat infection or tonsillitis, bad breath, difficulty eating and drinking as well as snoring and sleep disordered breathing.

During a tonsillectomy, the tonsils will be accessed via the mouth and dissected away from the pocket at the side of the palate using coblation diathermy to cauterize blood vessels.  Infrequently, a suture may be used to tie off any bleeding points. 

After a tonsillectomy, an overnight stay in hospital is usually required for observation (some patients may be discharged on the same day if they meet certain criteria, as decided by the surgeon).