Latest Tonsillectomy Stories

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- PEAK Surgical, Inc. and Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) today announced an agreement that grants the Surgical Technologies business at Medtronic exclusive rights for global distribution and marketing of the PEAK PlasmaBlade® TnA (Tonsil and Adenoid) tissue dissection device for the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) market. "PEAK's agreement with Medtronic is a major step toward our goal of capturing significant market share of the sizable global...

Radiofrequncy-tonsillotomy, which enables surgeons to reduce the size of the tonsillar tissue instead of removing the tonsils entirely, seems to be an effective and safe method of treating children with symptoms of enlarged tonsils.In a paper presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology "“ Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in San Diego, researchers investigated 167 children (under 15 years old) who had undergone radiofrequency surgery for...

A doctor in Canada warns the use of codeine to treat pain following a tonsillectomy could prove fatal for some children. Dr. Gideon Koren of the University of Western Ontario investigated the death of a 2-year-old boy following a tonsillectomy. Koren said enlarged tonsils are usually treated with antibiotics, but tonsillectomies are performed in the case of sleep apnea, in which the child stops breathing while asleep. The toddler, who had a history of snoring and sleep-study-confirmed sleep...

PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- PEAK Surgical, Inc. today announced the launch of the PEAK((R)) PlasmaBlade TnA (Tonsil and Adenoid) tissue dissection device following 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This new product is indicated for cutting and coagulation of soft tissue during otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat [ENT]) surgery, including removal of the tonsils and adenoids. "Having tried all of the energy-based device options on the market...

Young children and infants with obstructive sleep apnea could benefit from a new surgical technique.Removing the adenoids, tonsils or both using a surgical treatment known as adenotonsillectomy proved effective in a recent study on 73 children under the age of two who suffered from sleep apnea. Children treated medically without surgery displayed no improvement in sleep apnea symptoms, while those who underwent surgery reported significant improvement. Researchers say complications and side...

New research shows waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) are clear risk factors for sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children. However, neck circumference was not identified as a predictor for the condition.In a recent study, researchers gathered data from 700 children between the ages of five and 12 years of age. They found several non-anatomical conditions, including obesity, were linked to SDB. It is believed the condition is caused by large tonsils, resulting in many...

Infants and young toddlers with obstructive sleep apnea and sleep disordered breathing experience significant improvement following surgical treatment of the ailment, according to an invited article in the June 2009 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.The study evaluated 73 cases in which children younger than two years old were treated for obstructive sleep apnea through the removal of the adenoids, tonsils, or both (adenotonsillectomy). Those treated through surgery experienced...

After a tonsillectomy, it seems patients are caught in a Catch-22. New research shows a commonly used steroid to reduce nausea and vomiting is associated with an increased risk of postoperative bleeding.About 186,000 tonsillectomies are performed each year in the United States, making the outpatient procedure one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in children. Dexamethasone injected after the start of anesthesia can reduce the nausea and vomiting often experienced after...

Smoking appears to be linked with an increased rate of hemorrhage in patients who undergo a procedure done with a tonsillectomy, U.S. researchers said. A uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, or UPPP, is surgical procedure used to remove excess tissue from the throat with tonsillectomy -- a surgical procedure in which the tonsils are removed. The study, published in the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery, found that patients who smoked had an increased rate of hemorrhage when they had...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Little T.J. was a monster. There's no other way to say it.Extremely hyperactive, the toddler ran around in circles, destroying everything in his path. He choked the cat and dragged it by its tail. He bit the teacher and hit other kids. He got kicked out of day care and banned from friends' homes.His own grandmother called the 2-year-old a "monster." Friends told his family that T.J. _ short for Terence Johnson _ was destined to be "the next serial...