Adenoids

• Adenoids are made of lymphatic tissue and are located in the back of the throat behind the nasal passages. Due to their proximity to the nasal passages, swollen or infected adenoids lead to breathing problems, snoring and sleep apnea in adults and children. Those with chronically enlarged adenoids may also experience recurrent ear infections and sinus troubles. When adenoid-related disturbances become chronic, your doctor may recommend that your adenoids be removed in a simple outpatient surgery.
  
  

Turbinates

• Turbinates are located inside the nasal passages on both sides of the septum and serve to keep the air that is breathed in through the nose moist and clean when it passes through the body to the lungs. It is possible for turbinates to cause breathing problems by becoming enlarged and creating blockages that make it difficult to breathe through the nose. There are three turbinates located in each nostril, and their effect on breathing may be worsened by deviations to the septum.
  
  

Adenoidectomy

• An adenoidectomy is performed under general anesthesia by removing the adenoid tissue from the back of the throat. This is done through the mouth, making incisions minimal, and is generally able to be completed in less than 45 minutes. The incisions are cauterized rather than stitched, then held firmly with gauze until any bleeding is stopped. A person is usually able to go home a few hours after surgery and needs to eat soft foods and drink plenty of liquids during recovery. Most patients will not need to miss more than a week of work or school when recovering from an adenoidectomy procedure. People who have enlarged adenoids often have chronically enlarged tonsils as well; therefore, tonsillectomies are frequently performed at the same time as adenoidectomies to avoid two separate recovery periods for similar surgeries.
  
  

Turbinate Reduction

• Turbinate reductions are performed after steroid nasal sprays have been unable to satisfactorily reduce turbinate size and the accompanying nasal blockage. The procedure can be done with only local anesthesia, but can be done under general anesthesia as well. It is performed in an office or hospital setting depending on the level of anesthesia required. The doctor inserts a scope into the nasal passages and removes parts of the spongy turbinate bone. Not all of the turbinate is removed, because doing so would create a permanent dryness in the nasal passage since the nose would no longer be able to humidify the air that is breathed in. Corrections to the septum, or a septoplasy, may be done at the same time as a turbinate reduction.
  
  

After Surgery

• Patients who undergo both adenoidectomies and turbinate reductions should experience a significant improvement in nasal breathing post-surgery. Snoring and symptoms contributing to sleep apnea may also be reduced. There should be no long-term or lingering effects from either procedure beyond the initial recovery period