Tonsils grow back 40 years after they were removed

Here’s a horror story for anyone who had their tonsils removed when they were young. CNN article published This week details a woman whose tonsils have grown back decades later, necessitating a second surgery to remove them.

According to CNN, Katie Golden had her tonsils removed for the first time in 1983 when she was five years old. More than forty years later, Golden’s doctor discovered regenerated tonsils, which had likely exacerbated a painful sore throat. Fortunately, Golden’s second surgery went smoothly, and tonsil regrowth is generally rare.

Tonsils They are a pair of round, fleshy masses located at the back of the throat. They perform a similar function as our lymph nodes, containing white blood cells that repel germs that enter through our mouth or nose. However, sometimes tonsils can cause problems. For example, it can become chronically inflamed and infected, or grow so large that it obstructs the airways during sleep, causing sleep apnea. So doctors remove them from time to time.

Problems with the tonsils often first appear early in life, and surgery is usually easier for children, so the procedure tends to occur in childhood. Some doctors, to reduce the burden of side effects such as pain and shorten recovery time, choose to partially remove most of the tonsils (partial or intracapsular tonsillectomy) rather than completely removing the tonsils (total tonsillectomy). Although this procedure has its advantages, it leaves open potential risks Regrowth of tonsils.

According to CNN, Golden had his tonsils removed at five to help alleviate some inner ear problems, with no major complications afterward. She’s not sure exactly when her tonsils returned, but she remembers noticing polyps in the back of her throat years ago, which often become “very inflamed” when she has a sore throat. Last fall, she decided to see an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat specialist) after developing a severe sore throat. That’s when her doctor made the surprising discovery, one that Golden didn’t believe at first.

“I didn’t think it was a possibility. I was in a state of disbelief and shock because the tonsils that I thought were gone were causing the pain,” Golden told CNN. “She’s like, ‘Well, they must have grown back.’ And I thought that was the strangest answer ever.

Regrowth of the tonsils is estimated to occur even 6% In the time following partial tonsillectomy. Some research has indicated that there is a large number of… Respiratory infectionseating Lots of sugary foodsAnd tonsil surgery At an early age It can increase the risk of tonsil regrowth. The type of surgery used to remove the tonsils may also contribute to regrowth, says Golden’s doctor, otolaryngologist Cynthia Hayes.

In the 1980s, tonsils were often removed only using scalpels or bladed instruments, known as “cold techniques.” Doctors these days often rely instead on newer “hot techniques” such as coblation, which uses low-dose, low-temperature radiofrequency energy to remove soft tissue, to remove tonsils. Some research has shown that removing tonsils with copulation appears to reduce the risk of infection Complications such as pain Compared to traditional methods. Hayes went the extra mile this time to make sure Golden’s tonsils wouldn’t come back.

“I actually dissected the tonsil capsule and removed all the tissue,” Hayes told CNN. “Obviously I don’t have a magic ball, but I don’t expect it will happen again.”

As is often the case for adults who have had their tonsils removed, Golden’s recovery was more painful this time. But she went back to the same old method she used as a child to help her recover faster: chewing a lot of gum. She is looking forward to having a less terrible sore throat from now on.