Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A)

A fact sheet explaining T&A, why your child needs it, and information before, during and after surgery.

Everyone has small glands on each side of the throat (tonsils) and at the top of the throat behind the nose (adenoids). A tonsillectomy (ton-sil-ek-toe-mee) is surgery to remove the tonsils, while an adenoidectomy (ad-uh-noid-ek-toe-mee) is surgery to remove the adenoids. A tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy done together is also commonly referred to as a T&A.