Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Are The Complications After Adenoid Surgery ?
Question: Thank you.for helping me.Yes my son did adenoied surgery 10 days ago and he had the problems with sinus and enlarged adenoid.He had always mucus and coughing that used to last for a week to 10 days.now I feel he is breathing much much better but he started coughing and catching uo mucus and nose congestion again.we still haven`t seen his ENT doctor yet he just finished his antibiotics last night.but i`m so wooried are these symptoms normal after the surgery or he`s gonna still have these problems he`s 3 year and 3 months old
thank you
thank you
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
It is normal to find congestion of the nose after 1 week or 10 days of surgery but since he had prior sinus problems as well, so it is more likely that the cough and mucus and nasal congestion is due to the sinus infection and not the adenoidectomy.
In a patient with prior chronic sinus disease, as evidenced by x-ray, removal of the adenoids may not eliminate the potential source of infection and the child may present with recurrent cough and mucus congestion.
In such cases, surgical drainage of the sinuses after adenoidectomy is beneficial but this is taken as the last resort. So start with nasal irrigation of the sinuses but if the congestion is severe then he may need surgical drainage of sinuses. In some cases adenoidectomy is combined with an irrigation of the sinuses. Adenoidectomy with a sinus irrigation is associated with less surgical risk than sinus surgery in small children.
Sinus surgery, if necessary, would then be reserved for those children who fail to improve after adenoidectomy and have persistent mucus congestion. Then radiographs and CT scans of sinuses are taken and if sinus congestion and inflammation is there, sinus surgery may be needed.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.
Thanks for posting your query.
It is normal to find congestion of the nose after 1 week or 10 days of surgery but since he had prior sinus problems as well, so it is more likely that the cough and mucus and nasal congestion is due to the sinus infection and not the adenoidectomy.
In a patient with prior chronic sinus disease, as evidenced by x-ray, removal of the adenoids may not eliminate the potential source of infection and the child may present with recurrent cough and mucus congestion.
In such cases, surgical drainage of the sinuses after adenoidectomy is beneficial but this is taken as the last resort. So start with nasal irrigation of the sinuses but if the congestion is severe then he may need surgical drainage of sinuses. In some cases adenoidectomy is combined with an irrigation of the sinuses. Adenoidectomy with a sinus irrigation is associated with less surgical risk than sinus surgery in small children.
Sinus surgery, if necessary, would then be reserved for those children who fail to improve after adenoidectomy and have persistent mucus congestion. Then radiographs and CT scans of sinuses are taken and if sinus congestion and inflammation is there, sinus surgery may be needed.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
