Your tonsils can regrow?! Michigan woman highlights rare phenomenon

[Craig]

IF YOU HAVEN’T HAD YOUR TONSILS REMOVED – YOU PROBABLY KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS, RIGHT?

WHAT ABOUT SOMEONE WHO’S HAD THEM REMOVED **TWICE**?

YEAH, THAT’S A THING. 

AND ONE MICHIGAN WOMAN’S STORY IS SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE UNCOMMON PHENOMENON.

KATY GOLDEN HAD HER TONSILS REMOVED WHEN SHE WAS FIVE YEARS OLD IN 19-83 TO ADDRESS INNER EAR ISSUES… BUT OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS THEY GREW BACK AND STARTED CAUSING ISSUES FOR HER AGAIN.

SO, HOW’S THAT POSSIBLE?

LOCATED AT THE BACK OF THE THROAT – TONSILS ARE PART OF THE HUMAN IMMUNE SYSTEM THAT HELP FILTER BACTERIA AND VIRUSES OUT OF THE AIR WE BREATHE, DEVELOP ANTIBODIES, AND HELP FIGHT INFECTIONS.

TONSILLECTOMIES – SURGERY TO REMOVE THE TONSILS – HAVE BECOME LESS COMMON IN RECENT YEARS… STILL THOUGH, ABOUT 500-THOUSAND PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES UNDERGO THE SURGERY EVERY YEAR.

THERE AREN’T A LOT OF STUDIES ABOUT TONSIL REGROWTH… BUT THE ONES THERE ARE INDICATE IT ONLY HAPPENS BETWEEN ONE AND SIX PERCENT OF THE TIME.

THERE’S NOT ONE STANDARDIZED METHOD FOR SURGEONS TO PERFORM A TONSILLECTOMY AND SOME TECHNIQUES INVOLVE ONLY REMOVING **MOST** OF THE TONSIL TISSUE.

THE SMALL AMOUNT OF TISSUE LEFT BEHIND CAN LEAD THEM TO REGENERATE.

THINK OF IT KIND OF LIKE SHAVING OR WAXING – YOU GET ALL THE HAIR OFF AN AREA WHERE IT’S UNWANTED BUT IT’S STILL ABLE TO GROW BACK.

TONSILS AREN’T THE ONLY ORGAN WITH THE UNCANNY ABILITY TO REGENERATE – THE LIVER CAN DO IT, TOO.

THAT’S ACTUALLY HOW MANY LIVE TRANSPLANTS ARE MADE POSSIBLE.

PART OF THE HEALTHY LIVER FROM ONE PERSON IS REMOVED AND TRANSPLANTED INTO SOMEONE WITH A DISEASED LIVER – THEN THE HEALTHY LIVE REGROWS ITSELF.

ALSO, SKIN IS CONSIDERED THE BODY’S LARGEST ORGAN AND AS CHILDHOOD SCRAPES AND BOO-BOOS TEACH US – IT, TOO, CAN REGROW.

KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST INTERESTING HEADLINES LIKE THIS ONE BY DOWNLOADING THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.