Tonsillectomy (removal of the tonsils)

The tonsils are two small organs located on either side of the back of the throat. They help fight infection in childhood, but they can become a site of repeated infections or grow large enough to disturb breathing and sleep. A tonsillectomy removes them completely. The operation is performed under general anaesthesia, entirely through the mouth, with no visible scar. The surgeon separates each tonsil from its bed using fine instruments, then carefully controls any bleeding. Depending on the team's practice, the dissection may be done with cold instruments or with an electric or radiofrequency device. It is offered to both children and adults when sore throats keep coming back despite treatment, after an abscess around the tonsil, or when very large tonsils cause snoring with breathing pauses. In children, it is often combined with removal of the adenoids during the same anaesthetic. At Clinique Pasteur Tunis, tonsillectomy is performed in the operating theatre by ENT surgeons, with an anaesthesia team experienced with both children and adults, usually as part of a short hospital stay.