Clinical Reference Systems: Pediatric Advisor 10.0
Tonsil and Adenoid Surgery: Discharge Instructions
What are the tonsils and adenoids?
The tonsils are grape-sized pieces of tissue in the back of
the throat on each side. The adenoids are small pads of
tissue at the back of the nose above the throat. The adenoids
can't be seen when you open your mouth because they are
behind the soft palate. Both tonsils and adenoids produce
antibodies to fight infections. They are usually removed if
they become so large that they interfere with breathing or
swallowing.
How long will it take to recover?
After removal of the tonsils and adenoids, your child may
lack energy and tire easily for several days. Your child
may be restless at night and not sleep well. These problems
gradually get better in 3 to 14 days. Your child may
have problems with constipation for several days because of
the codeine in the pain medication and because he will not
feel like eating much.
Discharge Instructions After Surgery
- Diet. The most important thing for your child to have in
the first 3 days after surgery is liquids. This will
help lessen problems with fever, constipation, and
healing. Make an effort to give your child a drink (2 or
3 ounces) every hour during waking hours for the first 2
days after surgery. Soft drinks, fruit juice nectars,
Jell-O, custard, Popsicles, or Gatorade are good
choices. Frequent small feedings of soft foods and cool
liquids usually are most comfortable. As your child's
appetite gets better, encourage him to eat solid foods.
There are no limits to the foods you may give your
child. You can't hurt the throat by giving your child
the wrong foods. Let your child have his favorite
foods.
Your child should not drink through a straw after
surgery until his throat is completely healed. This may
increase the risk of bleeding. Your child may feel sick
to his stomach, throw up, or feel tired and cranky after
surgery. This should get better within a few hours.
Occasionally, nausea and vomiting is due to the codeine
in the pain medication.
- Pain Medicines. A very sore throat or ear pain is normal
after the tonsils are removed. Expect pain in the ears
between the 3rd and 7th days because the same nerve that
goes to the tonsils also goes to the ear. Give regular
does of pain medicine (any acetaminophen medicines, such
as Tylenol) 4 to 5 times a day for a week. If your child
has severe pain, use the prescription pain medicine as
labeled. DO NOT USE ASPIRIN OR IBUPROFEN because these
medicines increase the chance of bleeding. You can use
cool compresses or ice packs on your child's neck to help
your child feel more comfortable. You can also have your
child suck on ice chips or chew gum.
- Fever Medicines. It is normal for children to run a
fever between 99ƒF (37ƒC) and 101ƒF (38ƒC) for the
first few days after surgery. The fever will be worse if
your child doesn't drink enough liquids and becomes
dehydrated. Give acetaminophen for the fever.
- Bad Breath. This is normal. It comes from a white to
yellowish scab that forms over the tonsil surgery site.
You can help your child's breath by giving him a mild
salt-water mixture to gargle. After gargling, your
child may spit up some bloody mucus. The scab breaks off
during healing within 5 to 10 days and the bad breath
will go away.
- Bleeding. There should be no bleeding from the nose or
mouth after your child returns home. Get up to check on
your child once or twice during the first night after
surgery. If there is any bleeding, take the child to the
emergency room immediately. The ear, nose, and throat
(ENT) doctor on call will check your child. Between the
5th and 10th days after surgery, the scab breaks off
the surgery site and your child may spit up some bloody
mucus. If the bleeding does not stop in 20 to 30
minutes, bring your child to the emergency room.
- Activity. It is best for your child to rest at home for
the first 48 hours after surgery. Activity may be slowly
increased as your child's strength increases. There is
no rule for the right time to go back to school, but a
guideline is 7 to 10 days after the tonsils are taken
out. Rough play and contact sports should not be allowed
until 14 days after tonsil or adenoid surgery. Contact
your child's school for make up work.
- Other Medicines
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- Additional Instructions
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- Follow-up Appointment After Discharge
Your child needs to be rechecked and has an appointment
on ______________ at ________ o'clock with
_______________________.
Call Your ENT Doctor Immediately If:
- There is any bleeding from the mouth or nose.
- The fever goes over 102ƒF (39ƒC).
- There are any signs of dehydration.
- Your child has vomiting that lasts more than 12 hours.
Call Your ENT Doctor During Office Hours If:
- A fever lasts more than 3 days.
- You have other concerns or questions.
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Written by Gail Mills, RN, and Kenny Chan, MD, and reprinted by permission of The Children's Hospital, Denver, CO.
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Copyright 1999 Clinical Reference Systems
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