Tonsillectomies improve quality of life

NEW YORK, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Tonsillectomies to treat chronic and recurrent tonsillitis can improve a patient's quality of life in both children and adults, two U.S. studies found.

One study, involving 72 adults, showed improvement in all six subscales of the Tonsil and Adenoid Health Status Instrument, a scale used to measure the quality of life of patients before and after a procedure.

The study found 98 percent reported fewer infections in the six months following surgery, with 76.9 percent expressing strong satisfaction with the surgery results -- as well as fewer cases of persistent bad breath, sore throats and trips to the doctor because of sore throats.

Another study, involving 92 children, showed significant improvements in the quality of life, as well as significant decreases in sore throats, antibiotic prescriptions, days missed from daycare/school, doctor visits and persistent bad breath.

The findings are reported as a supplement of the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.