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Tonsil and adenoid removal – discharge

Adenoidectomy - discharge; Removal of adenoid glands - discharge; Tonsillectomy - discharge

I Would Like to Learn About:

When You're in the Hospital

Your child had surgery to remove the tonsil and adenoid glands in the throat. These glands are located in the back of the throat and in the upper airway between the nose and the back of the throat. Often, adenoids are removed at the same time as the tonsils (tonsillectomy).

What to Expect at Home

Complete recovery takes about 2 weeks. If only the adenoids are removed, the recovery most often takes only a few days. Your child will have pain or discomfort that will get better slowly. Your child's tongue, mouth, throat, or jaw may be sore from the surgery.

While healing, your child may have:

• Nose stuffiness
• Drainage from the nose, which may be bloody
• Ear pain
• Sore throat
• Bad breath
• Slight fever for 1 to 2 days after surgery
• Swelling of the uvula in the back of the throat

Self-care

If there is bleeding in the throat and mouth, have your child spit out the blood instead of swallowing it.

Try soft foods and cool drinks to ease throat pain, such as:

• Jell-O and pudding
• Pasta, mashed potatoes, and cream of wheat
• Applesauce
• Low-fat ice cream, yogurt, sherbet, and popsicles
• Smoothies
• Scrambled eggs
• Cool soup
• Water and juice

Foods and drinks to avoid are:

• Orange and grapefruit juice and other drinks that contain a lot of acid.
• Hot and spicy foods.
• Rough foods like raw crunchy vegetables and cold cereal.
• Dairy products that are high in fat. They may increase mucus and make it hard to swallow.

Your child's health care provider will probably prescribe pain drugs for your child to use as needed.

Avoid drugs that contain aspirin. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a good choice for pain after surgery. Ask your child's provider if it is OK for your child to take acetaminophen.

When to Call the Doctor

Contact the provider if your child has:

• Low-grade fever that does not go away or a fever over 101°F (38.3°C).
• Bright red blood coming from the mouth or nose. If bleeding is severe, take your child to the emergency room or call 911 or your local emergency number.
• Vomiting and there is a lot of blood.
• Breathing problems. If breathing problems are severe, take your child to the emergency room or call 911 or your local emergency number.
• Nausea and vomiting that continues 24 hours after surgery.
• Inability to swallow food or liquid.

Related Information

References

Ungkanont K. Adenoidectomy. In: Meyers EN, Snyderman CH, eds. Operative Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 191.

Wetmore RF. Tonsils and adenoids In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 411.

Review Date: 11/29/2022  

Reviewed By: Josef Shargorodsky, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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