Mass. High Tech reports a Concord start-up has come up with a new way to treat inflamed tonsils: Heat them up.
gRadiant says heating tonsils causes their cells to die, reducing the need to surgery to snip the organs out.
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I'd rather cut & run
By david_yamada
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 9:18am
As someone who kept his tonsils until repeated infections (and heaven knows how many antibiotics) finally compelled me to have them removed at 19, I think I'd opt for the surgery rather than getting them microwaved whenever an infection pops up.
circa 1930s
By MadMax
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 9:38am
I seem to recall hearing about X-rays being used in the 1920s to remove tonsils. That also blasted your thyroid. FAIL!
This article suggests they'll use "heating". Perhaps they use non-ionizing radio-frequencies, versus microwave frequencies?
I agree with you about opting for surgery, david_yamada.
By independentminded
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 9:42am
n/t
Surgery Not Always an Option
By GradStudent
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 10:08am
While a relatively minor surgery for children, removing tonsils becomes much more complicated for adults. If a middle-aged patient had tonsil issues, surgery might be too risky. This could be a viable alternative for those patients.
As for heating up tonsils every time you have an infection, it sounds like the atrophy from the heat is relatively permenant.
hate to sound gross but...
By david_yamada
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 10:33am
...assuming the zapping process kills off the cells in the tonsils, it means that the zappee has some dead tissue flapping around back there, yes?
I'm imagining the hilarious Steve Martin-Bill Murray dentist scene in "Little Shop of Horrors"....
Good points, GradStudent.
By independentminded
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 11:27am
n/t
Interesting idea
By dirtywater77
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 10:52am
Here's some more info about the company.
I have sleep apnea so I have an interest in these types of airway surgeries. My first thought was "Yikes, it's another version of Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP)," a method that causes scarring and is of dubious benefit. But it looks like this company's method may seek to avoid scarring altogether.