A tonsillectomy is a surgical operation to remove the tonsils, which are two small, oval-shaped masses of tissue at the back of your throat. You might be able to see them in a mirror if you open wide and say “ahh.”

Doctors usually recommend a tonsillectomy when someone gets frequent, severe throat infections called tonsillitis. If your tonsils get infected over and over, causing high fevers, missed school days, and difficulty swallowing, removing them can solve the problem. Sometimes tonsils also grow so large that they block the airway during sleep, making it hard to breathe at night. In these cases, a tonsillectomy can help someone sleep and breathe normally again.

The surgery itself takes about 30 minutes, and patients often go home the same day. Recovery involves a sore throat for about a week or two, during which ice cream, popsicles, and soft foods are common doctor’s orders. Many kids worry about the surgery, but millions of people have had their tonsils removed and recover just fine. Interestingly, doctors used to perform tonsillectomies much more frequently than they do today. Now they're more selective, recommending the surgery only when the tonsils cause serious, recurring problems.