CNN
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In the summer of 1983, Katie Golden’s mother stocked up on popsicles in her suburban Detroit kitchen. And bubblegum. Golden was 5 years old and about to have his tonsils removed to correct ear problems he had had since he was a toddler.
The procedure seemed to work. Her recovery was similar to that of many other children she knows who also had their tonsils removed, and she quickly returned to her talkative self.
But just a few weeks ago, Golden stopped by a supermarket. She was about to have her tonsils removed, so I went again to get two packs of Grape Bubble Gum.
Over the past 40 years, my left tonsil had grown to almost its full size and was causing problems again.
Golden, who has undergone dozens of surgeries in her lifetime to address inner ear problems, is no stranger to sore throats, but she is no stranger to sore throats, but she has been diagnosed with an ear, nose and throat specialist, also known as an otolaryngologist or ear, nose and throat specialist. It had been many years since I had seen a doctor.
“I knew there was a little flap or something that had been there for years, but I didn’t know what it was. I just thought, ‘I’m not a doctor myself.’ . I don’t know much about the structure of the mouth. That’s just the way it is,” Golden said. “But if I get sick and my throat hurts, of course the back of my mouth gets really inflamed and I have a hard time swallowing. And I thought, ‘Obviously that’s my tonsils. “I have them.” I just have a sore throat. ”
In September, she developed a particularly painful sore throat and made an appointment with Dr. Cynthia Hayes, an ear, nose and throat specialist about an hour northwest of Detroit.
As Ms. Hayes examined Ms. Golden’s throat, she described what she was seeing so the medical clerk could take notes. And when Hayes mentioned the size of his tonsils, Golden says, disbelief and shock “hit me.” [her] It’s like a ton of bricks. ”
“I looked around and thought, ‘Oh, no, I don’t have tonsils.’ I looked at her and thought, ‘Maybe I chose to fail.'” Golden said.
Ms. Hayes said her tonsils were inflamed, but Ms. Golden was adamant that this was not possible.
“I never thought that was a possibility. I was shocked and couldn’t believe that my tonsils, which I thought were gone, were the cause of the pain,” Golden said. “She was like, ‘Well, they must have grown again.'” And I thought that was the weirdest answer ever. ”
Tonsils are part of the human immune system. Located at the back of the throat, the otolaryngologist is “composed of lymphatic tissue that helps filter and defend against pathogens that enter through the mouth and nose,” says Dr. Dr. Adva Bhuj says: in Philadelphia told CNN in an email. She was not involved in Golden’s case.
Tonsil removal can help treat breathing-related sleep disorders and recurrent infections. Although tonsillectomies have become less common over time, U.S. surgeons still perform more than 500,000 surgeries each year, the researchers said. cleveland clinic.
Tonsil regrowth is rare. Several studies that have attempted to quantify the risk have estimated the risk to be between 1% and 6% for people who undergo intracapsular tonsillectomy, which removes most of the tonsil tissue.
Experts say practices around tonsil removal are not very standardized, which can make it difficult to understand all the nuances.
Several methods can be used to remove tonsils. The most common include microdebridement, which uses tools to suction and scrape away tissue, and coblation, a “hot technique” that uses radiofrequency to remove tissue. Some doctors, especially those trained decades ago, prefer “cold techniques” that use only scalpels or other blades.
“Furthermore, the amount of tissue removed can vary widely between surgeons and is difficult to control in studies,” Buj said.
“Tonsillary regrowth can occur when residual tonsillar tissue becomes newly inflamed. If done correctly, tonsillectomy aims to remove all tonsil tissue and There is almost no proliferation.”
Hayes said Golden was only the second patient in his eight years of practice to see a patient whose tonsils had returned. But she quickly realized that was what was happening.
“Looking back, it was obvious,” Hayes said. “At the back of a person’s throat, from the anterior column to the posterior column, the tonsils are located there. People who have their tonsils removed should have a very smooth texture. But in her case, it was very smooth. It was bumpy. It looks exactly like tonsil tissue, just regrowth there.”
Hayes said she strongly feels Golden’s tonsils are more likely to come back because of the techniques used on her as a child. When Golden had his first surgery decades ago, “cold techniques” were more common, including the use of a guillotine instrument, which uses two blades to cut away the tonsils. But Hayes says “modern techniques” like coblation, which he used in Golden’s surgery this year, allow for greater precision.
“I actually dissected down to the tonsil capsule and removed the entire tissue,” Hayes said. “Of course I don’t have a magic ball, but I don’t think she’ll ever have it again.”
Neither Golden nor Hayes are sure when her tonsils started regrowing or how long it took, but Hayes’ best guess is that she’s had the condition for at least 10 years. That is to say.
Although the regenerated tonsils were inflamed and causing discomfort, there was no medical emergency to remove them. Mr. Golden chose this surgery after discussing all the risks and benefits.
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Experts say recovery from tonsillectomy is often longer and more difficult for adults because children generally tend to heal more quickly.
Golden said it’s been two weeks since her surgery, and she’s been supported by loved ones, but she’s surprised at how bad the recovery has been.
“I wasn’t bleeding, but my back was bleeding. Think of it like a canker sore, about the size of the first knuckle of your thumb,” she said. “It hurts a lot more than I expected. It’s taking a lot longer than I expected.”
Still, she’s optimistic that the payoff will be worth it, as she no longer suffers from sore throats that “feel like I’ve swallowed a cactus for days.”
During his recovery as a child, he was offered bubble gum to stimulate saliva production and strengthen his jaw after a long surgery, but this nostalgic experience didn’t help him the second time around. Golden said the bite was painful for the first few days.
Dr. Hayes says experts’ advice for aiding the healing process is the same no matter the age of the patient: getting plenty of rest and even popsicles can help.
