Definition for Tonsillectomy
From Biology Forums Dictionary
Tonsillectomy is a 3,000-year-old surgical procedure in which, traditionally, each tonsil is removed from a recess in the side of the pharynx called the tonsillar fossa. The procedure is performed in response to repeated occurrence of acute tonsillitis, obstructive sleep apnea, nasal airway obstruction, diphtheria carrier state, snoring, or peritonsillar abscess. For children, the adenoids are removed at the same time, a procedure called adenoidectomy. This is uncommon in adults in whom the adenoids are usually vestigial. Although tonsillectomy is performed less frequently than in the 1950s, it remains one of the most common surgical procedures in children in the United States.