Ear, Nose, and Throat (Otolaryngology)

Mail:

1600 Rockland Road
Wilmington, DE 19803
» Get Map and Directions

Phone:

(302) 651-4000

Doctors:

The Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children provides personalized, comprehensive care for children with a wide range of problems affecting the ears, nose, throat, neck, and sinuses.

Intracapsular Tonsillectomy

Every year Nemours ENT surgeons remove thousands of swollen tonsils from children because of chronic tonsillitis (infected tonsils). However, apnea (pauses in breathing during sleep often caused by enlarged tonsils blocking a child’s airway) has become the most common reason for removing children’s tonsils (tonsillectomy).

Nemours ENT surgeons at duPont use a new technique to remove enlarged tonsils. This method, called intracapsular tonsillectomy, involves removing most tonsil tissue while leaving a thin patch of tonsil to protect the underlying muscles. In some studies, this has been shown to result in less postoperative pain and a quicker return to a normal diet.

This is in contrast to the traditional method – complete tonsil removal – which exposes muscle tissue and can result in throat pain and a longer recovery time. The traditional tonsillectomy procedure is associated with a 2% to 5% post-operative bleeding rate, while the intracapsular method has brought that rate down to approximately 0.6%.

Studies have shown that, in terms of relieving the symptoms associated with sleep apnea or recurrent infections, the intracapsular method is comparable to the traditional method. With either, the risk of developing future tonsil problems severe enough to warrant further tonsil surgery is very low (less than 0.7%).

Nemours doctors have treated close to 7,000 children with the intracapsular tonsillectomy technique

Learn more about all of the services offered at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.