Otorhinolaryngologists in the case of inflammatory diseases of the oropharyngeal lymphoid tissue are accustomed to solve the problem radically, that is, by removing the affected organ. These can be both tonsils and adenoids. Tonsil cryodestruction is one of the methods that modern surgery can offer. It is important for the patient to compare the pros and cons, to weigh the risks, effectiveness and cost of the procedure in order to avoid unpleasant surprises in the future.
What it is?
Tonsil cryodestruction is a method of treating inflamed sections of the oropharyngeal lymphoid tissue by exposing them to very low temperatures. Liquid nitrogen freezes tissues up to necrosis and thus limits the pathological focus. To perform this procedure, it is better to contact a modern ENT center, rather than a communal hospital. Because the probability of having suitable equipment and specialists in the first medical institution is much higher.
Method Features:
- low temperatures activate the healing process of deformed tissues;
- improved drainage function of the tonsils;
- stimulated growth of nerves and blood vessels.
The essence of the method
Tonsil cryodestruction is a painless, bloodless and less traumatic method of tissue removal. It not only eliminates the affected areas, but also destroys the environment favorable for pathogenic bacteria. This solves two problems at once: eliminates the source of infection and reduces the consequences of the inflammatory process.
It is known that low temperatures kill most representatives of the pathological flora. This allows you to sanitize the oropharynx at the local level, without overloading the body with the introduction of antibiotics. In addition, the death of frozen areas stimulates the growth and development of the remaining tissues. This allows you to maintain the immune function of the body.
Indications
Tonsil cryodestruction is necessary if the patient is diagnosed with chronic tonsillitis. In this case, the glands, from the organ that supported local immunity, turn into a place of accumulation of bacteria with the development of a constant sluggish inflammation. This focus of infection can provoke diseases not only in the respiratory system, but also in other body systems.
Large tonsils, which have increased due to excessive growth of lymphoid tissue and prevent the patient from breathing and swallowing normally, must also undergo cryodestruction. Of course, first of all, it is necessary to find out the cause of hypertrophy and cure the pathological process, but it is unlikely that it will be possible to eliminate the defect by general methods. Therefore, doctors recommend resorting to local surgical methods.
The cryodestruction procedure is indicated in case of complications after tonsillitis and tonsillitis, such as arthropathy, cardiomyopathy and severe general intoxication.
Contraindications
Tonsil freezing, like other medical procedures, has a number of contraindications.
Firstly, the presence at the time of the procedure of exacerbated chronic diseases.
Secondly, the patient has deep disorders of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Thirdly, endocrine pathologies such as diabetes. The difficulty will be to lengthen the healing process and tissue repair in general.
Fourth, a history of cancer, as well as a decrease in blood coagulation. Although the procedure is bloodless, it is still necessary to take into account all the scenarios.
In addition, contraindications to cryodestruction are pregnancy, an allergy to low temperatures and massive damage to the tissues of the facial skull.
Benefits
If the patient has sore throats more than three times a year, then the doctor advises to remove the tonsils. This can be done in the usual way (loop), or can be done using cryodestruction. The advantages of this method over the classic are obvious.
- Bloodless and less traumatic procedures.
- Removal of not the entire organ, but only the affected areas.
- Preservation of the main function of the lymphoid tissue - the immune, due to the gradual restoration of the tonsils to the previous value.
- With chronic tonsillitis, cicatricial deformity of the tonsils, a violation of the drainage of the gaps, are often observed. After cryodestruction, the scars are removed, and the expansion of the ducts allows you to clean the lacunae of pus accumulated there.
Preparation
First of all, the patient is recommended to go to the ENT department in advance. This will help to tune in to treatment and properly prepare for the procedure. It is important to carry out the sanitation of the oral cavity, to go to the dentist in order to identify carious teeth, gum inflammation or bleeding. You also need to make a smear to identify microflora and conduct allergy tests.
For women, there is another important condition. Cryodestruction is not recommended immediately before and during menstruation. This limitation is associated with an increase in blood pressure and the total amount of blood in the body.
The patient is advised not to eat at least four hours before the procedure, and also not to sing or talk a lot.
How is the procedure going?
Be sure to ask your doctor how tonsil cryodestruction will take place. The price of this procedure is quite high, so you need to be sure that you trust your health to a professional. As a rule, municipal hospitals cannot provide adequate quality, therefore it is recommended to look for a specialist among private hospitals. The ENT center is one of the places where you can get highly qualified assistance.
Cryodestruction takes place in three stages.
- The patient is seated in a chair, since all the action will take place in this position.
- Local anesthesia is carried out with a ten percent solution of lidocaine. It can be either in the form of a spray or in the form of a liquid. A few minutes after application, the patient feels slightly numb tonsils.
- After the doctor has made sure that the patient is anesthetized, he takes a cryodestructor and puts it on the tonsil for a minute. This is enough to freeze the affected tissue. If the sections are larger than the working surface of the device, then the third stage is repeated several times.
Sometimes, according to the doctor’s decision, it is necessary to conduct several sessions of cryogenic freezing. The interval between procedures should be from seven to ten days.
Rehabilitation
You can leave the ENT department on the same day the operation was performed. But full recovery will come only in two weeks. After the effect of local anesthesia passes, the discomfort can last from four days to a week, gradually disappearing.
In response to external aggression, the tissues of the oropharynx will be swollen for some time, and an unpleasant plaque can form on the tonsils, which will pass in seven days.
Three weeks later, doctors recommend coming to a scheduled examination with an ENT doctor to assess now the healing and level of organ recovery. If the first procedure was ineffective, and pathological lesions remained in the tonsils, then cryodestruction is repeated.
The patient is recommended to follow a diet for the entire recovery period. Exclude cold, hot food, spicy, salty and pickled foods from the diet. In addition, the patient should regularly rinse his mouth with antiseptic solutions to reduce the risk of reinfection.
Complications and cost
Complications, as a rule, arise due to the low professionalism of the doctor or non-compliance with aseptic-antiseptic rules. In addition, bleeding may occur during or after the procedure.
On average, a single cryodestruction of tonsils will cost 4-7 thousand rubles. The price is based on the level of professionalism of the doctor, the luxury of the clinic, supplies and tools used.