NEW YORK -- The thought of removing tonsils incites thoughts of pain -- and sometimes ice cream -- in people who have been through the procedure.

But there might be a way to fix your tonsil problems without enduring so much pain.

Jason Ponterotto is a feisty little 5-year-old, which is kind of amazing in some ways considering how little sleep he gets most nights.

"He's basically snoring, unable to sleep throughout the night, waking up three to four times a night, gasping for air," said Marlene Ponterotto, Jason's mother.

The cause turned out to be enlarged tonsils and adenoids. They were so big that they blocked Jason's airway when he slept.

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So he's going to have them removed. But Dr. Max Aperil of Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital said he's going to use a new technique that will make his recovery much less difficult.

The key is a device similar to what orthopedic surgeons use to shave away damaged cartilage. This tonsil shaver quickly nips away almost all of the tonsil tissue. The key is to leave a little behind.

"We leave the last 10 to 15 percent over the muscle, so there's no raw surface," Aperil said. "So the healing time is much easier, much better tolerated than usual."

Another young patient, Charlie Fleisher, had his tonsils out just a week ago -- and what's amazing is what he was eating right after surgery.

Remembering what it was like to have her tonsils out, Charlie's mother, Connie Fleisher, was in no hurry to put her son through that trauma.

"It was less traumatic than a minor common cold," Fleisher said. "He was back at camp the next morning, swimming the next night, and the only thing that he complains about hurting is the IV being pulled out of his hand, so he's fine."

So far, tonsil shaving has only been used to take out enlarged tonsils that are causing trouble breathing during sleep, such as sleep apnea.

This procedure has not yet recommended for infected tonsils, although doctors will likely start using it in those cases too to see if a little infection left behind makes a difference.