After a span of forty years, the tonsils of a woman resurfaced following their initial removal.
This week, CNN shared a chilling tale for those who had their tonsils removed in their youth. A woman named Katy Golden, who had hers extracted at the tender age of five in 1983, discovered decades later that her tonsils had miraculously regrown. This led to a second surgery for their elimination. Luckily, Golden's second operation was a success, and tonsil regrowth is rather uncommon.
Golden's doctor first detected the regenerated tonsils, which may have been exacerbating her persistent throat pain. At the age of 46, Golden underwent a second tonsillectomy.
Tonsils are the pair of round, fleshy masses situated at the back of our throat. They have a similar role to our lymph nodes, housing white blood cells that defend against germs entering through our mouth or nose. However, tonsils can sometimes cause trouble, such as chronic inflammation or infection or growing excessively large, obstructing our airways and leading to sleep apnea. Consequently, doctors often remove them.
Tonsil-related issues usually appear during childhood, and the procedure is generally simpler on younger patients. In some cases, doctors perform a partial tonsillectomy, where only part of the tonsils are eliminated, reducing side effects such as pain and shortening the recovery period. Although this method has advantages, it leaves open the possibility of regrowing tonsils.
According to CNN, Golden's tonsils were removed in 1983 to alleviate inner ear issues, with no major complications. She isn't certain when the tonsils returned, but she did recall observing flaps in the back of her throat several years earlier, which would swell significantly when she contracted a sore throat. After developing an especially severe throat infection last fall, she visited an otolaryngologist (a specialist in ear, nose, and throat disorders). It was then that her doctor made an unexpected discovery.
“I didn’t think it was a possibility. I was in disbelief and shock that tonsils thought to be eliminated were causing my pain,” Golden told CNN. “She’s like, ‘Well, they must have grown back.’ And I thought that was the weirdest answer ever.”
Regrowth of tonsils following a partial tonsillectomy is estimated to occur up to 6% of the time. Factors like a high number of respiratory infections, consuming large quantities of sugary foods, and undergoing tonsil surgery at an earlier age can increase the risk of tonsil regrowth, according to research. Golden's doctor, otolaryngologist Cynthia Hayes, argues that the type of surgery used to remove the tonsils might also contribute to regrowth.
During the 1980s, tonsils were typically removed using a scalpel or bladed tools (referred to as “cold techniques”). Today, modern "hot techniques" like coblation, which employs low-dose low-temperature radiofrequency energy to eradicate soft tissue, are often utilized modernly for tonsil removal. Some studies have suggested that coblation tonsil removal may reduce the risk of complications such as pain compared to traditional methods. This time, Hayes took special measures to ensure that Golden's tonsils wouldn't regrow again.
“I actually dissected down to the tonsil capsule and removed that entire tissue,” Hayes told CNN. “Obviously, I don’t have a crystal ball, but I don’t expect that she’s going to have a reoccurrence again.”
Adults who undergo tonsil removal often face a more painful recovery than children. But, as in the past, Golden utilized the same recovery method: chewing plenty of bubble gum. And she looks forward to fewer agonizing throat infections moving forward.
The advancements in modern medicine and technology have led to the development of less invasive methods for tonsil removal, such as the use of coblation, which reduces the risk of complications like regrowth compared to traditional methods used in the 1980s. The regrowth of tonsils after a partial tonsillectomy is a relatively rare occurrence, occurring in up to 6% of cases, and can be influenced by factors like a high number of respiratory infections, consuming large quantities of sugary foods, and undergoing tonsil surgery at an earlier age.
