The tonsils are part of the immune system. They sit in the back of the throat either side of the uvula. Their job is to collect bacteria as they are breathed in; this allows the white blood cells to recognise them and to create special immune proteins to fight infection. After early childhood most of the common bacteria have already been encountered so the white blood cells know how to recognise them. There are also other tissues that have the same function as the tonsils. This means that if the tonsils are causing trouble they can safely be removed. If the tonsils are large they cause blockage of the back of the throat. This leads to turbulent airflow and vibration of the tonsils and palate causing a snoring noise. If the blockage is very severe breathing may stop altogether for short periods of time during sleep. This is known as sleep apnoea.

The tonsils are removed through the mouth. The blood vessels are sealed as the tissue is removed. Two little pockets are left behind where the tonsils used to sit; during the healing process they contain white debris. The main risk of this operation is bleeding. In a recent nationwide study it was found that 0.5% of people had significant bleeding after tonsillectomy. If there is a lot of bleeding another operation may be needed to sort it out. There is usually a lot of pain afterwards which lasts for 10-14 days. You will be given a combination of painkillers and sometimes antibiotics to treat this.