Tonsillectomy: a critical view

Tonsillectomy is a well-established and common surgical procedure with around 31,000 tonsillectomies carried out annually in England.1 The most common reason for tonsillectomy remains recurrent sore throat followed by obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and peritonsillar abscess.2 Tonsillectomy rates vary seven fold across English local authority areas, without an obvious explanation, raising questions about whether may be under or over provision in some areas.3 Well-established practices may not always have a scientific basis. As professionals, clinicians have a right to reach their own conclusions. What does a dispassionate view of the evidence say about which children could benefit from tonsillectomy?