I'd say not as bad as a back fusion with hardware, but an adult tonsillectomy runs close with the others and worse than knee.My surgeon asked me if I was ready for the worst surgery I've ever had.
I said worse than back, shoulder, knee, reconstruction? She said without a doubt.
I had the tonsils removed along with adenoids at around age 30. Miserable recovery. I actually regret that surgery because I don’t feel like it improved the sick time for me. Lost about 25 lbs of muscle from hardly eating for 2 weeks.
Scary situation! That is why this can be a dangerous surgery. Post tonsillectomy bleeding is no jokeMy wife had them removed a couple of years ago when she was 28. She was getting really bad tonsil stones every few days. The surgery went well but the recovery was painful
We had a scare a few days after the surgery. She had one of her scabs open up when she coughed and she started spitting up blood. The Dr told us to come to the ER if she had any bleeding. Just a few miles out of town I was on the phone with 911 because she was puking blood. By the time the ambulance met us on the side of the road she had almost filled about half of a small kitchen bowl with blood. It had lucky slowed down some and they got her to the hospital and took her in for surgery to re cauterize to stop the bleeding. They also pumped about a pint of blood out of her stomach that she had swallowed on the way. But all good now and no more tonsil stones!