I received a tonsillectomy at 2 yrs old in a dr's office in
Youngstown,Ohio. How common was this practice at that time?

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Clarification of Question by green4-ga on 25 Feb 2005 11:57 PST

I meant to type 1950's tonsillectomies

Tonsillectomies are still frequent procedures, with about 500,000
performed each year. They are actually on the rise again to help
correct breathing problems. They are performed for a variety of
reasons including repeated strep infections.  However, they are more
commonly performed nowadays due to sleep apnea, or breathing problems
during sleep.  Tonsillectomies were a very common procedure in the
1950s, and were performed for a variety of other health reasons,
including bad breath.  Strep was more of a concern then because of the
complications that can occur with untreated strep.  In the 1950's,
approximately 50% of all children had tonsillectomies.  Tonsillectomy
has been a very controversial treatment option over the last century,
with many arguments for and against them.

JR