Anesthesiologist Questions Tonsillectomy

Is general anesthesia required for a tonsillectomy?

My son will have his tonsils removed next week. Will he have general anesthesia during the surgery? Is it required?

8 Answers

Hello
Yes. General anesthesia is reccomended
Despite the fact that this procedure can be performed under local anesthesia, general anesthesia is always preferred by surgeons and patients.
Yes
Yes
Yes, tonsillectomy requires general anesthesia.
Children yes, a GA is required. A cooperative adult it's possible to do a tonsillectomy with local anesthesia only, although it may be hard to find a surgeon to do it under local.
Tonsillectomy surgery requires general anesthesia. The surgeon and the anesthesiologist must share the airway during the procedure. For the airway to be secured an endotracheal tube must be used. It’s difficult to have an endotracheal tube to secure the airway in a child without using general anesthesia.
No child will let anyone cut out his tonsils without placing him unconscious (general anesthesia). I’ve heard about in the old days the ENT doctor use to take out tonsils under local anesthetic in their office, but I imagine the child have to be very cooperative or someone have to restrain him during the procedure!

Yi-Hwa Outerbridge, MD