Otorhinolaryngologists in the case of inflammatory diseases of the lymphoid tissue of the oropharynx are used to solving the issue radically, that is, by removing the affected organ. It can be both tonsils and adenoids. Cryodestruction of the tonsils is one of the methods that modern surgery can offer. It is important for the patient to compare all the pros and cons, weigh the risks, effectiveness and cost of the procedure in order to avoid unpleasant surprises in the future.
What is this?
Cryodestruction of the tonsils is a method of treating inflamed areas of the lymphoid tissue of the oropharynx 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, and not a communal hospital. Because the probability of having the right equipment and specialists in the first treatment facility is much higher.
Features of the method:
- low temperatures activate the healing process of deformed tissues;
- improves the drainage function of the tonsils;
- stimulates the growth of nerves and blood vessels.
The essence of the method
Cryodestruction of the tonsils is a painless, bloodless and low-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: it eliminates the source of the 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 save the immune function of the body.
Indications
Cryodestruction of the tonsils is necessary if the patient is diagnosed with chronic tonsillitis. In this case, the tonsils, from an organ that supported local immunity, turn into a place of accumulation of bacteria with the development of 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 grown due to excessive growth of lymphoid tissue and prevent the patient from breathing and swallowing normally, should 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.
Cryodestruction procedure is indicated in case of developmentcomplications 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, it is the presence of exacerbated chronic diseases at the time of the procedure.
Secondly, the patient has deep disorders of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Third, endocrine pathologies such as diabetes. The difficulty will be to lengthen the healing process and tissue repair in general.
Fourthly, the presence of cancer in history, as well as a decrease in blood clotting. Although the procedure is bloodless, it is still necessary to take into account all scenarios.
In addition, contraindications to cryodestruction are pregnancy, allergy to low temperatures and massive damage to the tissues of the facial skull.
Benefits
If a patient has tonsillitis more than three times a year, the doctor advises to remove the tonsils. This can be done in the usual way (loop), or with the help of cryodestruction. The advantages of this method over the classical one are obvious.
- Bloodless and less traumatic procedure.
- Removal of not the entire organ, but only the affected areas.
- Preservation of the main function of the lymphoid tissue - immune, due to the gradual restoration of the tonsils to their previous size.
- In chronic tonsillitis, cicatricialdeformation of the tonsils, impaired drainage of lacunae. After cryodestruction, the scars are removed, and the expansion of the ducts allows you to clear the gaps from the accumulated pus.
Preparation
First of all, the patient is recommended to go to the ENT department in advance. This will help you to tune in to the treatment and properly prepare for the procedure. It is important to sanitize the oral cavity, go to the dentist to identify carious teeth, inflammation of the gums or bleeding. You also need to do a smear to identify microflora and conduct allergy tests.
For women there is another important condition. Cryodestruction is not recommended to be performed immediately before and during menstruation. This restriction is due to an increase in blood pressure and the total amount of blood in the body.
The patient is advised not to eat for at least four hours before the procedure, and not to sing or talk much.
How is the procedure?
Be sure to ask your doctor how cryodestruction of the tonsils will take place. The price of this procedure is quite high, so you need to be sure that you trust your he alth to a professional. As a rule, municipal medical institutions cannot provide adequate quality, so it is recommended to look for a specialist among private hospitals. ENT Center is one of the places where you can get highly qualified help.
Cryodestruction takes place in three stages.
- The patient is seated in a chair, as all the action will bepass in this position.
- Local anesthesia is carried out with a ten percent solution of lidocaine. It can be in the form of a spray or liquid. A few minutes after application, the patient feels a slight numbness of the tonsils.
- After the doctor is convinced that the patient is anesthetized, he takes the cryodestructor and puts it on the tonsil for a minute. This is enough to freeze the affected tissue. If the areas are larger than the working surface of the device, then the third stage is repeated several times.
Sometimes, according to the decision of the doctor, it is necessary to conduct several sessions of cryofreezing. The interval between procedures should be seven to ten days.
Rehab
You can leave the ENT department on the same day that the operation was performed. But a full recovery will come only after two weeks. After the effect of local anesthesia wears off, discomfort can last from four days to a week, gradually disappearing.
Reacting to aggressive external influences, the tissues of the oropharynx will be swollen for some time, and an unpleasant plaque may form on the tonsils, which will disappear in seven days.
Three weeks later, doctors recommend to come for a scheduled examination to the ENT doctor to assess the healing and the level of recovery of the organ. If the first procedure was ineffective, and pathological foci remained in the tonsils, then cryodestruction is repeated.
The patient is advised to follow a diet for the entire periodrecovery. Exclude from the diet cold, hot food, spicy, s alty and pickled foods. In addition, the patient should regularly rinse their mouth with antiseptic solutions to reduce the risk of reinfection.
Complications and costs
Complications, as a rule, arise due to the low professionalism of the doctor or non-compliance with the rules of asepsis-antisepsis. In addition, bleeding may occur during or after the procedure.
On average, a single cryodestruction of the tonsils will cost 4-7 thousand rubles. The price is formed based on the level of professionalism of the doctor, the luxury of the clinic, consumables and instruments used.
