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Mayo Clinic Housecall
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How you prepare
By Mayo Clinic staffYou'll receive instructions from the hospital on how to prepare yourself or your child for a tonsillectomy.
Information you'll likely be asked to provide includes:
- All medications, including over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements, taken regularly
- Personal or family history of adverse reactions to anesthetics
- Personal or family history of bleeding disorders
- Known allergy or other negative reactions to medications, such as antibiotics
Instructions for preparing will include the following:
- Don't take aspirin or other medications containing aspirin for at least two weeks prior to surgery.
- Don't eat anything after midnight before the scheduled surgery. Your surgeon should provide you instructions about drinking liquids prior to reporting to the hospital.
- Make arrangements for a ride home.
- Plan for 10 days to two weeks or more of recovery time. Adults may need more time than children.
Questions to ask your doctor or the hospital staff for yourself or on behalf of your child include:
- What are my dietary restrictions before surgery?
- When should I arrive at the hospital?
- Where do I need to check in?
- Can I take other prescription medications in the days before surgery? When can I take the last dose?
- What is the expected recovery time?
- What restrictions to activities or diet should I expect during recovery?
References
- Fact sheet: Tonsils and adenoids. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/tonsilsAdenoids.cfm. Accessed April 23, 2012.
- Fact sheet: Tonsils and adenoids: Postop. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/tonsilsAdenoidsPostop.cfm. Accessed April 23, 2012.
- Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1608/0.html. Accessed April 23, 2012.
- Tagliareni JM, et al. Tonsillitis, peritonsillar and lateral pharyngeal abscesses. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America. 2012;24:197.
- Tonsillopharyngitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/ear_nose_and_throat_disorders/oral_and_pharyngeal_disorders/tonsillopharyngitis.html. Accessed April 23, 2012.
- Fact sheet: Tonsillitis. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/tonsillitis.cfm. Accessed April 23, 2012.
- Q & A: What you should know before surgery. American Society of Anesthesiologists. http://www.asahq.org/Lifeline/What-To-Expect/QA-What-You-Should-Know-Before-Surgery.aspx. Accessed April 28, 2012.
- McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2012. 51st ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2356. Accessed April 30, 2012.
- Fact sheet: Tonsillectomy procedures. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/tonsillectomyProcedures.cfm. Accessed April 23, 2012.
- Combating antibiotic resistance. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm092810.htm. Accessed April 27, 2012.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 15, 2012.
- Baugh RF, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline: Tonsillectomy in children. Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. 2011;144:S1.
- Orvidas LJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 15, 2012.
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