Sometimes, doctors prescribe tonsillectomy to treat immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy. More research is needed on the potential benefits and risks, including in non-Asian populations.

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy is an autoimmune condition that occurs when IgA builds up in your kidneys, causing inflammation and kidney damage.

IgA is a type of antibody that your immune system produces to fight infections. Most IgA is produced in mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue in your gut and tonsils.

A combination of genetic and environmental factors may cause your body to produce IgA that contains less galactose (sugar) than usual. This appears to play a key role in IgA nephropathy.

Your doctor will prescribe medication to help manage IgA nephropathy.

They might also recommend tonsillectomy, which is surgery to remove your tonsils.

Read on to learn more about the potential benefits and risks of tonsillectomy.

According to a 2021 review, removing your tonsils may lower the amount of IgA in your blood and saliva. It’s possible this might have benefits for treating IgA nephropathy.

The tonsils are two masses of mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue at the back of your throat. They produce IgA and other immune system proteins to help fight infections.

Scientists are continuing to study the potential benefits and risks of tonsillectomy for treating IgA nephropathy in different populations. Most research on this treatment has been conducted in Asian populations.

Tonsillectomy may help slow the development of IgA nephropathy in Asian populations.

In a 2019 study, researchers followed 1,065 Japanese people with IgA nephropathy over an average of 5.8 years. Those who received tonsillectomy were less likely to have a 1.5-fold increase in serum creatine, which is a blood marker of kidney disease. They were also less likely to require dialysis.

A 2020 study involving 1,147 Japanese people with IgA nephropathy had similar results. Researchers followed them over an average of 8 years. Serum creatine levels increased less quickly in those who received tonsillectomy, which suggests the treatment may help slow the development of the disease. Those who received tonsillectomy were also less likely to develop end stage kidney disease during the study.

A 2024 study with 123 Japanese people found that combining tonsillectomy with steroid pulse therapy may be more effective than tonsillectomy without steroids for treating IgA nephropathy. Steroid pulse therapy involves treatment with high doses of steroids over a short time.

More research is needed to compare the potential benefits and risks of tonsillectomy with other treatments for IgA nephropathy. It’s possible that the causes and optimal treatments for IgA nephropathy may vary between different populations, including Asian versus non-Asian populations.

Clinical practice guidelines published in 2021 by the nonprofit organization Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) do not recommend tonsillectomy for treating IgA nephrology in white people without recurrent tonsillitis.

Recommendations may change in the future if new research becomes available.

Tonsillectomy may cause pain and swelling in your mouth, throat, neck, jaw, or ears. The pain typically resolves within a week or two.

Pain from tonsillectomy can make it difficult to swallow, which raises your risk of dehydration.

Changes to your fluid or food intake may also cause constipation.

Other potential complications of tonsillectomy include:

  • bleeding
  • infection
  • adverse reaction to anesthesia, which may cause nausea, vomiting, or other symptoms
  • velopharyngeal insufficiency, which may cause difficulties with speech, swallowing, or reflux

Talk with your doctor to learn more about the potential risks of tonsillectomy. Let them know if you have a personal or family medical history of bleeding disorders or adverse reactions to anesthesia.

If you undergo a tonsillectomy, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics to help prevent or treat infection following the procedure. They may also prescribe medication to help manage pain, nausea, or other potential complications after surgery.

Let your doctor know if you’re finding it difficult to swallow fluids or food after tonsillectomy. They may adjust your treatment to help limit pain. It might help to choose beverages and foods that are cold, soft, and bland.

Your healthcare team may insert an intravenous line into a vein in your hand or arm to give you fluids if you develop dehydration following tonsillectomy.

Severe bleeding or other serious complications may require surgery.

If you undergo a tonsillectomy, your surgical team will give you general anesthesia before performing the procedure. This medication makes you stay asleep during the surgery. The surgical team will place a gas mask over your face or insert an intravenous line into a vein in your arm or hand to administer it.

Once you’re asleep, the team will insert a tube through your nose or mouth and down your trachea (windpipe) to help you breathe.

Then, the surgeon will use a clamp to grasp your tonsils, which are located at the back of your throat. They will use a sharp knife known as a scalpel or a special surgical tool to remove your tonsils. They will stop bleeding in the area by applying pressure, cauterizing the tissue with a hot tool, or closing the tissue with ties or stitches.

A nurse or other healthcare professional will take you to a recovery room to monitor you for complications after surgery.

You may be able to go home the same day of surgery if no signs or symptoms of complications develop.

You may need to stay overnight for treatment if complications do occur.

It may take up to 2 weeks to recover from a tonsillectomy.

Resting after surgery is important for supporting your recovery. Getting enough fluids is also essential for preventing dehydration.

Talk with your doctor to learn how you can manage pain, promote healing, and reduce your risk of complications while recovering from tonsillectomy.

Let your doctor know if you develop any signs or symptoms of potential complications, such as bleeding or fever. Complications may require treatment and increase the recovery time.

Talk with your doctor to learn about the potential benefits and risks of tonsillectomy for IgA nephropathy.

They can help you learn whether this treatment might be appropriate for you. They can also help you learn about other treatment options, including medication.

Treatment recommendations may change as new research becomes available.

Some research has shown that tonsillectomy, the surgical removal of the tonsils, may help slow the development of IgA nephropathy.

Most of the research on tonsillectomy for IgA nephrology has involved Asian populations. More research is needed with other populations to study the potential benefits and risks of this treatment.

At this time, clinical practice guidelines do not recommend tonsillectomy for treating IgA nephrology in white people unless they have recurring tonsillitis. However, treatment recommendations may change in the future if new research becomes available.

In the meantime, your doctor can help you learn more about the potential benefits and risks of different treatments for IgA nephropathy.