When my daughter was little, she had a series of ear and throat infections that were frequent enough that the pediatrician finally said “One more in the next two months and Imma recommend we consider taking out her tonsils” or words to that effect. Interestingly, Julia stopped getting the sore throats and ear infections just then. (Kids do stop getting the sore throats and ear infections eventually, and I guess it was time!) Had she continued to suffer these infections and the question of tonsillectomy come up, I’m sure I would have researched it and made a scientifically informed decision about what to do, in consultation with the pediatrician, who was in my opinion quite good.
But that didn’t happen, so it was with great interest that now, several years later, I find these blog posts about tonsillectomy:
Seth Roberts writes: Tonsillectomy Confidential: doctors ignore polio epidemics and high school biology in which he argues that tonsillectomies are overused and should be avoided, based on his reading of the evidence.
Maggie Koerth -Baker, an editor at Boing Boing (where Roberts’ post was published) writes: A doctor responds to Seth Roberts’ guest post about tonsillectomy in which she contextualizes Roberts’ post and points readers to …
Steve Novella’s Tonsillectomy Indications and Complications. Novella does not exactly come to the opposite conclusion from Roberts, but he points out some very important flaws in Roberts methodology of research and presentation, which should give pause to anyone basing a decision on Roberts’ essay.
This sequence of posts is a must read for anyone interested in Science Based Medicine, Skepticism, or my favorite subject, Skeptical Skepticism.
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It probably is over-done, but because of my childhood experience with it, I’m rather opinionated on the subject. I’m 50-something, and when I was in second grade, I had several recurring bouts with infected tonsils.
Our family doctor told my mother– “We have 2 choices here. I can give her an antibiotic, and she’ll get better fast–but you can expect recurring infections.” (He also, by the way, commented on overuse of antibiotics to treat minor problems, and predicted down-the-road issues with that. Smart man, Dr. Jones.)
“Or–we can let this run its course. She’ll run a low-grade fever and will be cranky for a week or 2. But she’ll build up natural resistence, and she won’t get it again for years.”
In those days of stay-at-home moms (this would have been about 1967), Mom decided to let me fight it out. I had a minor bout in 6th grade, then, in college, developed massive impacted tonsils, and they were yanked out then.
re Nancy @ 1
Two choices the good doctor gave you. I would have given you one more- namely remove the causes in the diet & there would be no need for the body to mount such defensive, reparatory symptoms. Problem solved- no more tosillitis because there would be no need for it. If you want to read a great book on children’s health which covers these types of simple-to-overcome problems, none better than Dr Joel Fuhrman (yes a real doctor): “Disease Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right”.
Waaaah gah!
After following those links then going here
http://blog.sethroberts.net/2012/01/15/more-about-tonsillectomy-confidential/
I lost the will to continue reading further commentary.
What a mess! Seems to me that if you catch the patient in the early stages of tonsillitis, and try some interventions including all the naturopathic and dietary ones, as well as antibiotics, you might prevent the tonsils from becoming severely damaged and “over-responsive”. But, once they get there, the best thing to do is take them out.
Couldn’t agree more about the comment on “Google University”
I have patients coming in every day asking a million questions about things they have read…looking for some more authoritative opinion and guidance. It can be a full time job.