• Have Questions?

• Web: Email Us
• Tel: 800.797.6520
• Fax: 888.994.2782

Search our
Physician Directory

Ablation: The surgical removal of soft tissue.

Adenoid: Lymph-like areas of tissue, or glands, that are similar to the tonsils, but they are located very high in the throat, behind the nose. They trap and filter out germs that enter the body. The adenoids also help your body fight off infection by making antibodies. You have your adenoids when you are born and they continue to grow until you are 5 to 7 years old. By school age, the adenoids begin to shrink in size, and, by the time children reach their pre-teen or teenage years, the adenoids are usually quite small.

Adenoidectomy: Surgical removal of adenoids from the area between the nasal airway and the back of the throat (nasopharynx). Adenoidectomy is often performed at the same time as a tonsillectomy.

Antibiotic: A drug that is used to treat bacterial infections.

Coblation^®: Coblation tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy is a "gentle" way to remove both the tonsils and adenoids. Coblation technology combines radiofrequency energy with a natural salt solution to remove tissue with little, if any, damage to surrounding, healthy tissue.

Conductive Medium: A saline (salt) solution, or another medium, that acts as a carrier for radiofrequency impulses.

Electrosurgery: A surgical procedure that uses high frequency energy to cauterize, ablate or remove soft tissue.

Radiofrequency energy: Energy that travels as radio waves. It is electrical energy used in medical procedures for sculpting, shrinking or removing soft-tissue. Coblation is an advanced form of radiofrequency.

Scalpel: A small knife with a very sharp blade that is used in surgery.

Snoring: More than 45 percent of all adults snore on occasion and 25 percent snore all the time. During sleep, the muscles at the back of the throat relax, which allows a structure known as the soft palate to partially block the air passages. The sound of snoring is caused by air trying to get around the blockage in the air passages.

Tonsil: Oval-shaped, lymph-like tissue located at the back of your throat. Tonsils are part of the lymphatic system, which aids the body in fighting off infections. Although their exact purpose is unknown, they are thought to act as filters and fighters of bacteria. However, they can be overcome by invading bacteria and become infected themselves, sometimes chronically.

Tonsillectomy: The surgical removal of tonsils.