The surgery has been described since at least as early as 50 AD by Celsus.[10] In the United States, as of 2010, tonsillectomy is performed less frequently than in the 1970s although it remains the second most common outpatient surgical procedure in children.[2] The typical cost when done as an inpatient in the United States is US$4,400 as of 2013.[11] There is some controversy as of 2019 as to when the surgery should be used.[1][4] There are variations in the rates of tonsillectomy between and within countries.[12][13]