Here at Capital ENT and Sinus Center, a tonsillectomy is a common and fairly simple surgical procedure. During the procedure, each tonsil is removed from a recess on the side of the pharynx called the tonsillar fossa. The procedure is performed in response to repeated occurrence of acute tonsillitis, sleep surgery for obstructive sleep apnea, nasal airway obstruction, diphtheria carrier state, snoring, or peritonsillar abscess.

For children, the adenoids (also known as a pharyngeal tonsil or nasopharyngeal tonsil) are usually removed, a procedure called adenoidectomy (or tonsilloadenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy when combined). Although tonsillectomy is performed less frequently than in the 1950s, it remains one of the most common surgical procedures in children.