A tonsillectomy is a common procedure performed to treat chronic or recurrent tonsillitis, sleep-disordered breathing, and other conditions like tonsil stones or cancer.
I often use a carbon dioxide laser to remove or sometime vaporise the tonsils. I perform the procedure under general anaesthesia so you will be asleep for the duration.
In my practice I have noticed some benefits in comparison to other methods like electrocautery, co-blation and scissor dissection. These include:
Precision: The laser can be sharply focussed, which allows for precise and controlled tissue removal. This will avoid/ minimise injury to the underlying muscle and other nearby healthy tissue, which if occurs will prolong pain and healing.
Can reduce bleeding: The laser cauterises (seals) blood vessels as it cuts.
Less post-operative pain: Many studies confirm my own experience of using this technique, where I have found that patients undergoing laser tonsillectomy seem to be more comfortable in the first few days compared to traditional methods.
Decreased risk of infection: The precision of laser, with reduced collateral injury and charring may help decrease the risk of postoperative infection especially if the reduced pain encourages a quicker normalisation of your swallow.
Faster recovery: Similarly, due to reduced bleeding, less charring and trauma to the surrounding tissues, healing is usually faster. Most patients feel nearly back to normal after 2 weeks.
It’s important to note that individual responses to surgery can vary, and not all patients experience the same benefits.