Tonsillectomy Post-Operative Instructions

Follow-up:

Your follow-up should be scheduled at 2-3 weeks after your surgery.

Our clinic locations are at:

    • Issaquah: 510 8th Avenue NE, Suite #310, Issaquah, WA 98029
    • Bellevue: 1231 116th Avenue NE, Suite #915, Bellevue, WA 98004

Please call the Bellevue ENT clinic at (425) 454 – 3938 if you need to reschedule or are unable to make your appointment.

Medications:

    • Take your pain medication as prescribed. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery when you are taking narcotics.
    • Colace 100 mg twice a day as needed for constipation

Diet:

Maintain a soft diet for 2 weeks with a consistency similar to mash potato. Do not eat any hard, solid, or sharp foods (such as cereal or toast). You can resume a regular diet after 3 weeks unless instructed otherwise at your follow-up appointment. Remember to drink adequate fluid to avoid dehydration.

Wound care:

Avoid traumatizing the throat when you brush your teeth. Rinse your mouth, but avoid gurgling with water or mouthwash.

Restrictions/Precautions:

Avoid straining and heaving lifting of more than 20 lbs. You may go back to school and/or one week after surgery.

Typical things you can expect after surgery:

A sore throat and ear pain are typical after a tonsillectomy and will continue to get better with time & medications. You may have some reflux of fluid into the nose when drinking; this will typically improve with after 2-3 weeks. About 2-3 days after surgery, you may see a thick white coat of tissue over the throat. This is typical fibrinous materials that will dissipate within 2-3 weeks. Referred ear pain can be present during the first week after surgery. This will subside with time.

Signs and symptoms to look out for:

If you develop significant pain, bleeding, high fever, signs of infection, respiratory distress or difficulty breathing, please call for further medical advice.

Bleeding occurs in 1-3% of individuals after a tonsillectomy. Bleeding is most common the first 24-48 hours after surgery and 7-10 days out from surgery. A small amount of blood tinged saliva is normal, and should not raise concern. Significant bright red bleeding from the mouth that does not resolve is a medical emergency, and you should present to the nearest ER right away.

Contact Information:

For any non-urgent medical problems, please call the Bellevue ENT clinic at (425) 454 – 3938 during the daytime on weekdays. If it is after normal work hours or on the weekend, please call the Bellevue ENT operator at (425) 454 – 3938 and ask for the physician on call for ENT. For emergent issues, please proceed immediately to the nearest ER.