Adenoids are a type of tissue that exists at the top and back of the nasal passage where the nose and the mouth join. The adenoids can become enlarged which causes difficulty in breathing and causes the tone of the voice to become extremely nasal. Adenoids cannot become enlarged to the point where they affect breathing or speech completely. They only cause a hindrance in both situations.
The adenoid gland tends to shrink before adolescence and tends not to pose a significant health problem after this change has taken place. Most adenoid related problems occur in children and these could include heavy snoring, breathing trouble, and even chronic ear infection. This is because the ear, nose and throat are all connected to each other within the head. Adenoid problems are rare in adults and such cases would result in the adenoid removal in adults. Adenoid removal in children is not uncommon and in some cases it is done at the same time as tonsil removal because the child is already undergoing surgery and has been anesthetized for the same.
Adenoid removal procedure involves a surgery under anesthesia. Once the problem has been diagnosed, the patient, usually a child, will be scheduled for an adenoid removal surgery. This procedure takes just a few minutes and is usually without complication. The main reason for a lack of complication is the fact that the adenoids are accessible from the oral cavity itself and do not require any surgical incision to be made. The patient is prepared for the surgery and is completely sedated so that he or she is unconscious. The doctor then applies a clamp to keep the jaw open following which the adenoids are accessed and scraped off the upper wall of the nasal and oral cavity. The doctor may also use a cutting tool to cut away pieces of the tissue. The area may then be cauterized in order to halt the bleeding or this may be done using a piece of cloth. After surgery, the patient is brought out of sedation and would be required to stay immobile for a few hours until he or she regains all the various senses and regains control over motor skills. Drowsiness is not uncommon after such a procedure. The patient may also feel some soreness in the jaw muscles if the muscles have been stretched during the procedure. Once the patient is capable of swallowing, he or she is discharged and can go home.