# Tonsillectomy and circumcision



## jesrox (Apr 5, 2007)

Well I had my tonsils taken out last Thursday, so I've had nothing but time and boredom and playing on the computer since then. Have spent a lot of time on mothering.com that I don't usually get to do while working and taking care of the babe.
Spending time on this forum made me think that there are parallels between the two procedures. A while ago(50's,60's I believe) most kids got tonsillectomies, it was "routine". The reasons for that were because it was felt that tonsils weren't needed,and to prevent infections(like strep throat). It is a much more painful and harder procedure to do on adults. Many kids had their tonsils taken out without ever having a case of strep or tonsillitis.

However, now doctors are much more reluctant to do tonsilectomies on kids unless they have had repeat strep infections. Every time I mentioned getting my tonsils out people kept saying, oh its much worse as an adult, why didn't you have it done as a child?? I didn't have any problems with my tonsils until I was in my twenties. While this surgery did SUCK A LOT and my throat still hurts, I am glad I was able to consent to the risks myself, and understand the consequences of the surgery.

Isn't it odd that doctors won't do tonsillectomies on kids to prevent the chances of getting repeated tonsillitis or strep infections, but they will circumsize boys to prevent the chances of having UTI's?? I've had BOTH strep and UTI's(sometimes at once!) and strep is MUCH worse in my opinion!!

I'm sure someone else could do a better argument of this, and it may be the Lortab talking







but I think that this may be a good argument for medical types. Obviously I haven't done any research(except my own field research o f having the worse tonsils on earth and an intact son who has never had any UTI's) but just wanted to throw it out there!


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## uptowngirl (Jun 9, 2008)

I can't speak to circ but I had my tonsils removed at age 32. Seriously. I had so many strep infections/antibiotics that I was convinced I would die of throat cancer before I was 40! Once removed, I have not had strep since. I think some tissue is vulnerable in some people. Not everyone....not all the time....but once a bug in there, it can really mess with your immune system. I had ds cir'd, but didn't think much about the viral vulnerability of it. It was mostly cultural/etc. But you raise an interesting point about unnecessary (or necessary surgeries. Good post.


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## stever_45723 (Feb 21, 2006)

I haven't posted a reply in quite a while, but I jsut couldn't pass this up because I suspect not many people are aware of it. In the thirties and forties, it was quite common for boys to go into hospitl for a tonsillectomy and get a circumcision at the same time. I have talked with several guys to whom this happened, one of whom had it happen by as late as 1959. For the most part this practice had died out by the early fifties because by then the vast majority of boys were circed at birth. I do not know of a single case where the boy knew he was going to be circumcised before entering the hospital for the tonsillectomy, and most of the parents never mentioned it afterwards or talked with the kid about why it was done.


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## christifav (Nov 10, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *stever_45723* 
I haven't posted a reply in quite a while, but I jsut couldn't pass this up because I suspect not many people are aware of it. In the thirties and forties, it was quite common for boys to go into hospitl for a tonsillectomy and get a circumcision at the same time. I have talked with several guys to whom this happened, one of whom had it happen by as late as 1959. For the most part this practice had died out by the early fifties because by then the vast majority of boys were circed at birth. I do not know of a single case where the boy knew he was going to be circumcised before entering the hospital for the tonsillectomy, and most of the parents never mentioned it afterwards or talked with the kid about why it was done.

I'm so glad we don't live in THAT society any more. Hopefully it is just a matter of time before we are looking back at circ in the early 21st century saying, "I can't believe they did that."


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *stever_45723* 
I do not know of a single case where the boy knew he was going to be circumcised before entering the hospital for the tonsillectomy, and most of the parents never mentioned it afterwards or talked with the kid about why it was done.

I've always heard that the Dr often didn't bother to ask the parent. (Just vague word of mouth stuff, no concrete evidence so don't quote me.)


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## gcgirl (Apr 3, 2007)

I'm also a candidate for tonsillectomy at 31 (but recently backed out of surgery because I'm scared). My mom asked several docs about my tonsils when I was a kid, and they all said to keep them as long as possible. BAD FREAKING ADVICE!

And yes, I do think it's odd that they won't do a medically indicated tonsillectomy but they'll rip off a sensitive part of a boy's penis for cosmetic reasons and "just in case."

And on the tonsillectomy/circ thing: can't speak to that, but my grandma was a nurse in the pediatric ward back in the day, and she said parents would often tell their kids who were in for tonsillectomies that they were going to "have their picture" taken or some crap. That always made her SO mad. She always made the parents tell the kid what they were REALLY in for.


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## myllissa (Sep 4, 2007)

I have often drawn a parallel between these two surgeries for this exact reason! Why would you do a circ, but not do a "preventive" tonsillectomy? They seem so similar in my mind and performing either one without a reason, or to "prevent" an issue seem like similar issues. I use it as an example to people who question why we didn't circ DS.


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## bvnms (Apr 29, 2008)

My sister had hers out when she was 8 or 9 or somewhere around there and I still have mine. I have horrible problems with them and have for as long as I can remember. I just don't know that I would want to go through the surgery. I had a hernia right below my belly button that had to be repaired and I was terrified going willingly for that.


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## jesrox (Apr 5, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bvnms* 
My sister had hers out when she was 8 or 9 or somewhere around there and I still have mine. I have horrible problems with them and have for as long as I can remember. I just don't know that I would want to go through the surgery. I had a hernia right below my belly button that had to be repaired and I was terrified going willingly for that.


I'm not going to lie, it hurts...but if it means I don't have to suffer through strep again it will be worth it! I've had tonsillitis or strep over 10 times in the last 4 years, and have had to be on repeated cycles of antibiotics that kept getting stronger...the worst part has been not being able to eat and my throat hurting, but I've still been able to be up and around, have gone shopping...just make sure that you take time off from work or if you stay at home with your kids, make sure someone helps you with them as you want to nap A LOT.


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## DocsNemesis (Dec 10, 2005)

I had mine out when I was 16. It took a year to convince the doctors to do it, and I was plenty old enough to consent imo. Yeah, they are very anti-tonsilectomy now, its odd. Hopefully someday urologists will be the same way with circing









I'm glad it wasnt done when I was little. I woudlnt have understood why I had to go through that pain, who knows if I would've had issues when I got older and needed them out (obviously most people dont), and the risks would've been higher as a child being put under general. Instead, I was able to judge how badly my throat bothered me and made the choice myself. (I didnt have strep, I just had HUGE tonsils that got dry during the night and caused very bad sore throats EVERY morning) I was able to take stronger pain meds and force MYSELF to eat/drink.

My dd had hers out when she was 4. She also had HUGE tonsils and as a result, had bad sleep apnea, so we all decided it was best to get it done (and it did fix it btw, yay!). It was so much easier for me than for her







She was too little to understand, she refused to eat or drink, got dehydrated and had to spend a day in the hospital on an IV. Then she did it again, so they gave her a shot of morphine. Suddenly she was eating! lol Anyway, she wasnt allowed to take anything stronger than ibuprophin at home and I'd imagine her throat was killing her (even with percocet and vicodin, my throat was still a bit sore). It really does have a lot of paralells to infant vs adult circ.

Plus, its way funner when you're older and get out of school for a week because of it!


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