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Founded in 1856, St John & St Elizabeth Hospital is one of the UK’s largest independent charitable hospitals. Our commitment to our patients is in the quality of our care, the range of our services and the quality of our consultants and staff.
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Tonsillitis
Tonsillitis can be a recurrent condition, occurring more than once a year. In adults, tonsillitis can be very painful and is associated with fever, swollen glands and difficulty in swallowing. Generally lasting for at least 5 days, it can also be triggered by glandular fever in teenagers.
Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils – two small glands that sit on either side of the throat – normally caused by a viral or, less commonly, a bacterial infection.
Laser vapourisation tonsillectomy usually involves minimal blood loss and can be relatively safely performed in patients who are completely against possible blood transfusion (e.g. Jehovah’s Witness patients). During this operation, there was no significant active bleeding. Specifically, we can see the back wall of the throat has no blood on it at all.
The intracapsular removal of approximately 95% of the tonsil tissue means that this procedure is effective. Also, since the capsule is intact, it is safer than dissection (bipolar, etc.) tonsillectomy, where the capsule is completely removed, as the major vessels to the side of the tonsils (peritonsillar vein, superior and inferior tonsillar arteries, ascending pharyngeal artery) are not exposed.
Laser tonsillectomy for adults – intracapsular technique
In adults, we recommend the intra-capsular flash scanned Carbon Dioxide laser procedure, either under local anaesthetic (tonsillotomy) or general anaesthetic (tonsillectomy).
Laser tonsillectomy under general anaesthetic is a same-day procedure where patients are kept in the hospital for observation for 6 hours post-op. This technique removes around 95% of the tonsils in one attempt, so the need for a second procedure is much lower. Time off work is kept to a minimum, generally, it is 48 hours after surgery. There can be some pain and discomfort which can last around 7 days post-op.
This dramatic pain reduction is due to the tonsil capsule kept intact – meaning that the throat muscle and the blood vessels around the tonsil are not exposed. The flash scanned Carbon Dioxide laser is the best instrument we know to do this, as it is quick and bloodless.
The only downside of this technique is that small remnant of tonsil tissue is sometimes left behind. These may need further surgery, although it is rare that this is required (1:50 cases). All our patients go home on the day of surgery, after 6 hours.
Ideally, surgery is performed on a Friday, so the weekend is spent recovering, and Monday back to normal.
Quinsy
Even more painful than tonsillitis, quinsy is an abscess on the inside of the tonsil, causing spasm of the jaw muscles, ear pain and almost complete inability to swallow. It is usually on one side only and is often triggered by tonsillitis. In acute cases, treatment is by draining the pus and giving intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Hospital admission for a few days is required.
Surgical treatment of quinsy
We recommend a general anaesthetic and an intracapsular laser vapourisation tonsillectomy, in which the tonsil is vapourised using the flash scanned Carbon Dioxide laser. Vapourisation is extended into the abscess cavity to exteriorise so that repeated infections cannot occur.
Contact Our Tonsillitis & Quinsy Experts
Our experts at London ENT Unit have many years of experience in dealing with tonsillitis and are able to perform advanced procedures such as a tonsillotomy to ensure relief from any pain or discomfort that you may be experiencing. For any questions or to book an appointment, we recommending contact our ENT team by calling 020 7078 3841 or emailing us at [email protected].
Patient information
Our Hospital is renowned for providing exemplary levels of care across more than 90 services. From orthopaedics, to urology, our private GP practice and Urgent Care Clinic, our services are led by some of London’s leading Consultants. For more information, and to find a service suitable for your care, find out more about the services that we offer.
Make an enquiry
If you have any questions relating to treatment options or pricing information, get in touch with us by filling out one of our contact boxes or giving us a call on +44 207 806 4060.
Our Appointments Team have a dedicated and caring approach to finding you the earliest appointment possible with the best specialist.
If you are self-paying you don’t need a referral from your GP for a consultation. You can simply refer yourself* and book an appointment.
If you have health insurance (e.g. Bupa, Axa Health, Aviva), you will need to contact your insurer to get authorisation before any treatment, and in most cases you will also require a referral letter from your GP.
If you are not registered with a GP, we have an in-house private GP practice you can use. Alternatively, we can suggest the most appropriate course of action for you to take, given your location and individual circumstances.
*Please note – for investigations such as X-rays and MRIs, a referral will be required. However, we may be able to arrange this for you through our on-site private GP.
