Anyone in the medical field?

[Deleted]

Can someone elect to have their tonsils removed without it being medically necessary?

[never2amazing]

Why would they want to?

ETA: This is TWB, not N2A. I'm just curious!

[Deleted]

Aug 15, 2012 23:49:26 GMT -5 never2amazing said:

Why would they want to?

ETA: This is TWB, not N2A. I'm just curious!

I've developed tonsilloliths over the past couple years, they are gross and annoying and the only way to prevent them is to have my tonsils removed. They don't harm anything but it's become a daily annoyance and I'm ready to get rid of the problem.

[mel]

Yes, you should be able to have them removed as an elective surgery.

[hlke]

I get them too, it's soooooo gross. The answer is basically yes, but it might take some hunting to find a doc who will agree, because tonsillectomies have a tough recovery in adults. An ENT is the place to go, or your PCP for a referral. And apparently a tonsillectomy cures most but not all cases.

[twotrue]

I get those too. I was supposed to have my tonsils out as a child (because they are HUGE) but it never happened. Apparently you can get laser surgery to help correct the issue but only for small pockets.

[Deleted]

I thought you ladies were going to google tonsilloliths and think "Eww, butterfly is disgusting", good to know I'm not alone.

[hlke]

I tried to get mine out by having sleep apnea surgery (tonsil removal is part of it) but I wasn't a good candidate for that surgery. Instead that suggested the breaking and resetting your jaw surgery, and I was like "ummmmmm.....no". And in the end, I'd still have tonsils!

[Deleted]

How in the world is BREAKING YOUR JAW supposed to help?!?!

[hlke]

Oh...breaking your jaw is one of the surgical options for sleep apnea. It basically makes your airway bigger by moving your lower jaw forward. All the other sleep apnea surgeries remove your tonsils, so I figured that'd be an awesome side effect, but OF COURSE I'm only a candidate for the most difficult surgery with no tonsil removal.

I think this has officially moved into the "way overshare" category.