Efficacy of tonsillectomy for recurrent throat infection in adults

Sore throats result in health care visits, use of oral antibiotics, and days off work or school for many patients who do not meet American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) guidelines for tonsillectomy. We sought to determine whether tonsillectomy would benefit this group.

Retrospective analysis of the medical records of all patients aged 16 years or older who had tonsillectomy at our institution between 1988 and 1993.

Number of clinic visits, number of throat cultures positive for streptococci, and number of prescriptions for oral antibiotics recorded for 147 patients during the 2-year periods before and after tonsillectomy were tabulated. Statistical comparisons were made using the Student's t test. Mean number of clinic visits and oral antibiotics prescribed for throat infection before tonsillectomy were significantly higher than after tonsillectomy.

Patients who had throat cultures positive for streptococci had more preoperative clinic visits and use of oral antibiotics than patients whose throat cultures were not positive for streptococci. When surveyed by telephone, most (>87%) of the respondents reported that they had fewer and less severe sore throats, required fewer days off work or school, and would recommend the procedure.

Our results suggest that early tonsillectomy in patients with recurrent throat infection may result in improved patient satisfaction, better health, and improved utilization of medical resources.