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Adenoidectomy may be recommended when enlarged adenoids are blocking the airway, which may be suspected if the child:
Snores excessively
Has trouble breathing through the nose (nasal obstruction)
Has episodes of not breathing during sleep (sleep apnea)
Adenoidectomy may be recommended if the child has chronic ear infections that:
Interfere with child's education
Persist despite antibiotic treatment
Recur 5 or more times in a year
Recur 3 or more times a year during a two-year period
Adenoidectomy may be recommended if the child has chronic or repeated bouts of tonsillitis.
The adenoids normally shrink as the child reaches adolescence and adenoidectomy is rarely needed after reaching the teenage years.
Review Date 10/28/2024
Updated by: Ashutosh Kacker, MD, FACS, Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Attending Otolaryngologist, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
