A surgical operation to remove adenoid tissue, typically performed in the throat or nasopharynx.
From Greek 'aden' (gland) + 'tome' (to cut), directly translating as gland-cutting—this surgical term emerged in medical practice during the 1800s as the procedure became standardized.
Adenotomy was one of the most frequently performed surgeries from the 1890s through 1960s, and it fundamentally changed how we treat childhood infections—though today it's less common because we understand antibiotics better.
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