a certain number of people who undergo surgery will do so unnecessarily as they would not have had further episodes of tonsillitis had they not had surgery. Evidence in adults is unclear.

In 2019, the American Academy of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) recommended:Many cases of the sore throat have other causes than tonsillitis, and tonsillectomy is therefore not indicated for those cases. The diagnosis of tonsillitis is often made without testing for bacteria.