Paediatric AdenoTonsillectomy Post-op Instructions

Return to normal activities

It takes 10-14 days for most children to fully recover
Your child will need to be home from school or daycare for this time with a responsible adult supervising
General activities can be resumed when you feel up to it
Please avoid active sports, exercise and heavy lifting for 2 weeks
If only adenoidectomy is performed (instead of tonsillectomy or both) then recovery is generally 5-7 days

Your child will experience some throat pain and discomfort for up to 2 weeks following surgery
Ear pain, jaw pain and neck pain may also occur
This can be improved with pain relief but may not entirely disappear
During this time, it is recommended that your child receive regular pain relief

Paracetamol (Panadol): Please take every 4 to 6 hours (with a maximum of 4 doses in a 24hr period), and continue this regularly until pain subsides
Anti-Inflammatories (Neurofen): Please take regularly following surgery as prescribed by your doctor
Strong Pain Relief (Oxycodone): This may be needed intermittently when pain is not controlled by Paracetamol and anti-inflammatories. Please take the prescribed dose as directed
- This medication can cause drowsiness and constipation. If you have any queries about pain relief requirements, please contact the hospital.
Non-Medication Pain Relief There is some evidence that the following measures may aid in pain relief after tonsil surgery:
- Maintain hydration to keep the mouth moist
- Use chewing gum and/or chewy lollies to exercise the jaw
- Ice blocks, ice cream and other cool items can alleviate pain in the first few days after surgery
- A varied diet including some harder to swallow items (bread / meat / apples and whole fruit) speeds up the healing process by ‘cleaning’ the operation site.
- Please seek advice if pain relief measures are inadequate

There are no restrictions on diet
Your child should drink as much as needed to avoid dehydration
If you are worried you are not drinking or eating enough you may need to be re-admitted to hospital for intravenous fluids in some instances

It is common to have a mild fever for the first 24hrs after the operation
Please seek attention from a local GP or hospital if there is a persistent fever greater than 38.5°C or contact the number below

Bad breath is expected following removal of tonsils and even more so if the adenoids are removed
This usually settles after 3 weeks if not sooner

If there is any sign of fresh bleeding from the nose or mouth greater than a teaspoon in volume (spitting or coughing up fresh blood), please present to the nearest Emergency Department for assessment
If your child has had a tonsillectomy; It is important to stay within 30min of a Health service with an ENT surgeon for 14 days after surgery due to the risk of bleeding

A follow-up phone call is usually made 4-6 weeks after surgery in most cases
Where an appointment is needed you will be advised by your Surgeon If at any stage

In the event of an emergency please attend your local emergency department. If you have any concerns, then please contact our clinic nurse on 0473 853 687