If you are old enough to be a mom and to be reading this, there's a decent chance you no longer have tonsils. If you're a younger mom and do, I'd bet your mom or older sibling doesn't. They used to just take them out when they were a hassle, then one year someone decided we need them.
From what I can find, without intensive mind-numbin research full of terms I don't understand, they discovered that they actually do have a purpose. It seems they are supposed to help reduce infections and illness... Due to the amount of times I had tonsillitis I doubt they helped me much, but since I got it years after they were gone I'm not sure taking them out helped either. They interrupt the bacteria and stop it from developing into an infection, but if they are always infected themselves and lowering quality of life, then they would just take 'em out!
Now they don't. Unless they cause a decrease in oxygen and hinder proper breathing they get to stay. I'm sure there's a certain number of infections every year that would cause alarm too, but as that's not the problem we are having it wasnt discussed. I hate to just pull random numbers of the Internet, so I'll just say that it probably has to be pretty bad before they remove them.
The problems that tonsils can cause range from light snoring to actually interrupting breathing during sleep. So the more minor issues, such as snoring, are either lived with or treated with sleeping aids (think mouth guard) or medication (nasal spray or oral medications mostly). Should they interrupt sleep, or decrease breathing during sleep, then medications are more likely and removal may be considered. This leads to a sleep study. So you have a child with interrupted sleep or that stops breathing when they sleep, go ahead and find out how long before they breathe again. Well I shake mine, or alter the angle of her head, because I can't just stand around and wait to see how long before she breathes...I think it's a mommy instinct. So now hook them up to a machine and it'll track it, but I'm assuming I can't interfere so the readings are correct, so I will actually have to find out how long it will continue if I don't do anything. That's a terrifying thought. Then they will decide if oxygen flow is interrupted enough to suggest surgery. I'm not sure what that threshold is, but if my child isn't breathing and an operation everyone in my grade 1 class had by that age can stop it, then why are we even bothering? Just fix it!
I did some research, and when I was small they did it with a scalpel and stitches and you spent a night at the hospital. Frequently now it is done with lasers. Sure, they get better toys and easier surgeries. The laser does the work, closes the spot behind it, and the time for both the operation and healing is greatly decreased. There is also less chance of infection. I barely remember after it was done, and only a little at the hospital. If now it's easier, safer, and little to no bleeding afterward, then I'm even more comfortable with it. Especially if the other options include slowing brain development through lower oxygen levels and/or medication every day for the foreseeable future, including any possible side effects, then sign me up for the one night at the hospital with the laser and the trained medical staff.
So maybe I'm a bad mom. It seems as thought its a huge deal to have this surgery. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather it not be necessary, but I want my child to have a long healthy life and I'm not sure that refraining from it is necessarily the right choice. The snoring you get used to, for that I wouldn't even consider it.
Where do you stand on the great tonsil debate? Will your kids keep them no matter what or is there a point where enough is enough?