What term refers to the removal of the palatine tonsils?

1 Answer
Jan 23, 2018

The surgical removal of the palatine tonsils
is called a #"tonsillectomy"#.

Explanation:

The palatine tonsils are the two lymph nodes in the back of the throat. They are part of the immune system that defends the body against infections from microbes.
https://www.healthline.com/health/tonsillitis

If the tonsils become infected, the condition is called #"tonsillitis"#.

Here is an image that compares normal and infected tonsils

enter image source here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillitis

Removal of the palatine tonsils is the surgical procedure
called a #"tonsillectomy"#.

This word contains the suffix "#"ectomy"#," which means "cutting out."
It is the same suffix that is found in the word "append ectomy ," the surgical removal of the appendix.
https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/-ectomy

Tonsillectomies have been performed for more than 2000 years, rising and falling in popularity over those centuries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillectomy#History

Here is a list of some of the methods that are used nowadays to perform tonsillectomies:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillectomy#Methods

Here's the Mayo Clinic's web site about tonsillectomy.
You can click on the list of topics to the left to find out more about this topic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/tonsillectomy/basics/definition/prc-20019889