Adenoids and adenoidectomy

Risks

An adenoidectomy is a low-risk procedure andcomplications following surgery are rare. However, as with all types of surgery, there are some associated risks.

When to seek medical advice

Contact your GP immediately or go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department if your child experiences the following symptoms shortly after surgery:

bright red bleeding from their mouth (for more than two minutes)
a fever
intense pain that isn't reduced by painkillers

Some of the possible problems after having an adenoidectomy are outlined below.

Minor problems after surgery

Afteran adenoidectomy, some children experience minor health problems. However, most of these are temporary and rarely require further treatment. They can include:

sore throat
earache
stiff jaw
blocked nose or nasal discharge
bad breath (halitosis)
a change in voice (your child may sound like they're speaking through their nose)

Most of these symptoms will pass within one to two weeks, andshouldn't last longer than four weeks. Contact your GP ifyour child is still experiencing side effects after this time.

Infection

All surgery carries the risk of infection. The tissue in the area where the adenoids were removed may become infected with bacteria.

Therefore, after the procedure,your child may be prescribed antibiotics to help prevent infection.

Allergy to the anaesthetic

With any surgery where an anaesthetic is required, there's a risk of the person having an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic.

If your child's general health is good, their risk of having a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to the anaesthetic is extremely small (1 in 20,000).

Around1 in 10 children may experience some temporary symptoms, such as a headache , sickness or dizziness.

Bleeding

In rare cases, excessive bleeding can occur after the adenoids have been removed. This is known as a haemorrhage.

Further surgery will be needed for cauterisation (where heat is applied to stop the bleeding) or to insert a dressing.

Less than1 in 100 children need emergency treatment to stop a haemorrhage. However, if it occurs, a haemorrhage needs to be dealt with quickly to prevent excessive blood loss.