Example patient information leaflet: Tonsillectomy

It is common for people to suffer several sore throats most years. These are not always due to tonsillitis and may be linked to colds or flu.

Young children and young adults are more prone to sore throats. This is probably because they are mixing in different social groups, and this is the first time that they have been exposed to the bacteria or viruses which cause sore throats. After they have had a sore throat from a particular bacteria or viruses, patients develop immunity to those bacteria or viruses.

For some carefully selected patients, tonsillectomy can be beneficial.

This leaflet covers some aspects you may wish to consider.

The operation itself is very straight forward, but you should be aware of the following drawbacks:

• One or two night's stay in hospital and a general anaesthetic.
  
• A sore throat with a two week recovery period. This tends to be more of a problem in adults (it is worth comparing this with how much time you suffer from sore throats at present).
  
• Complications can occur, both with the operation and the anaesthetic.
  
• Currently 1% of patients having tonsillectomies in Scotland come back into hospital as emergencies because of complications which arose after they had gone home, particularly bleeding.
  
• By the time you have your operation, it is possible that you will have `grown out of' the condition anyway, particularly if waiting lists are long. (No one can predict this accurately.)

Most patients currently having tonsillectomy report benefit from the operation, but there is no guarantee that tonsillectomy will prevent all sore throats in the future.

Sore throats can occasionally be a sign of more serious conditions, especially in older patients who start to get persistent sore throats. You should therefore discuss any concerns with your doctor, who will advise on appropriate investigations and treatment.