Do I need surgery for adenoid hypertrophy?
This question has plagued parents…
So much so that my background messages and private messages have been bombed!
Many parents also take advantage of the holiday time to bring their children together for surgery:
But, is it really necessary?
First of all, everyone should know one thing: under normal physiological conditions, the adenoids begin to develop to the largest at the age of 2-6, gradually shrink at the age of 10-12, and basically disappear in adults.
So adenoid hypertrophy is not necessarily pathological, but probably physiological. And even pathological hypertrophy may not be severe enough to require intervention, which is why doctors generally recommend observation and conservative treatment.
When is surgery necessary? How to take care of it?
The University of Science and Technology will help you solve your doubts at one time today!
Whether the surgery should be performed depends on whether the baby has the following symptoms:
Image source: Science Home Parenting Original
When these 5 conditions occur, please follow the doctor’s recommendation for surgery!
The optimal age for adenoid surgery is 3 to 7 years old, and the prime time is around 4 years old. It is still necessary to operate after the age. The symptoms can be improved after surgery, and the deformity that has occurred will be corrected slowly, but the effect will be less.
Once you miss the best time for surgery, it is easy to delay the disease and lead to aggravation of the disease, which will not only make you ugly, but also affect your development!
The surgical procedure is actually not terrible, as long as you choose a regular hospital, you can rest assured! The operation time is also very short, only 5-10 minutes.
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However, in the post-operative care, parents must know what to do, which plays a key role in whether the child will suffer again!
After normal surgery, children experience these 3 symptoms:
1. Sore throat
Slight sore throat, you can give the baby some ice water, ice milk, ice cream, etc.;
Severe sore throat requiring pain medication as directed by a doctor.
2. Bleeding
A small amount of bleeding is normal, let the baby spit it out and clean it upmouth, keep it clean.
If there is heavy bleeding, seek medical attention immediately!
3. One week after surgery
Pay attention to rest, drink plenty of water, and eat soft and liquid food within a week. Do not exercise vigorously or cough forcefully.
How to care for the baby after surgery, do you remember?
Compared with surgery, there are more babies who do not need surgery, so how do you take care of your baby at home to avoid suffering?
The first thing to do is to follow your doctor’s orders and take medication on time:
Image source: Science Home Parenting Original
I hope you will read some of the precautions in the picture above. In addition, you need to do the following 3 things at home:
1. Nasal wash with saline
Rinse the nasal cavity with saline before going to bed every day to wash away secretions and bacteria, which can effectively prevent symptoms from getting worse.
When sleeping, you can put your baby on the side, because lying on the back is more likely to cause nasal congestion.
2. Light diet
Try to avoid spicy and irritating food, eat a small amount of meat and fish, eat a light diet, and eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.
3. Indoor ventilation to avoid drying
Open more windows for ventilation. If the room is too dry, it is recommended to turn on the humidifier to relieve the baby’s nasal congestion.
At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen physical exercise properly, which can enhance the resistance and effectively prevent the aggravation of adenoid hypertrophy symptoms.
Next, Keda summarizes 8 frequently asked questions and will help you answer them one by one! If you have any questions, you can also ask questions in the message area and answer questions online!
01
Will the surgery lower my baby’s immunity?
The immune function of the adenoids gradually weakens after the age of 3. Surgical removal will not reduce the baby’s immunity.
02
Does surgery leave scars? Bleeding a lot?
Currently, most operations are performed with low temperature plasma heads, which enter from the mouth, leave no scars on the face, and have minimal bleeding.
03
Is it harmful to my child to undergo general anesthesia surgery?
No.
As long as it is under normal anesthesia, parents need not worry.
Most of the anesthetics used for children’s surgery are short-acting drugs, which work quickly and fail quickly, and generally do not cause damage to the body.
04
Will it come back after surgery?
Yes, but it’s rare.
The nasopharynx can be flattened after the current adenoid surgery. After surgery, some children may have a little tissue hyperplasia due to recurrent colds or inflammatory stimulation, but they are basically within the controllable range.
Although the possibility of recurrence is very low, the University of Science and Technology still recommends a combination of surgery and drugs, and at the same time, pay attention to a healthy diet and take the baby to exercise properly.
05
Adenoid appearance is all caused by adenoid hypertrophy?
Not necessarily.
Not all adenoid faces are adenoid “pots”!
Adenoid face is caused by chronic nasal congestion and mouth breathing. If any disease that causes mouth breathing is not corrected for a long time, adenoid face may appear.
Image source: Science Home Parenting Original
For example, some common chronic diseases: rhinitis, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, foreign bodies in the nasal cavity or sinuses, nasopharyngeal tumors, cleft palate, etc.
Or bad oral habits: biting the lower lip causes the upper teeth to protrude, causing the upper lip to become loose and upturned.
06
Do I have to take a film before my adenoids are removed? Can nasal endoscopy be used as a basis for surgery?
Tests to reassess the size of the adenoids may be ordered before adenoidectomy.
If the local hospital has the conditions to do polysomnography, it is recommended to do one, which can visually assess the child’s sleep blockage and the degree of hypoxia before surgery.
If there is no condition to do it, electronic nasopharyngoscopy can also be done, and filming is not necessary.
07
Can the tonsils be removed together?
Generally, the following two situations are suggested:
① The child is >2 years old, with hypertrophic tonsils and obstructive sleep apnea.
② Repeated pharyngitis and tonsillitis infection
08
What about excision or mouth breathing?
Please ask the doctor to determine whether there is any obstruction in other parts of the upper airway, and then correct the child’s mouth breathing habit after ensuring that the upper airway is completely unobstructed.
It can strengthen the functional training of the baby’s labial muscles, such as pursing the lips:
Image source: Science Home Parenting Original