Can getting a peritonsillar abscess drained hurt?

Yes. as any surgery: Hurts to some extent, but the drainage of these abscesses is life saving, as swelling can increase rather rapidly and interfere with breathing etc.. So the hurt would be minimal under these circumstances. Also once such an abscess is drained, that itself decreases the pain of the abscess.

Mildly uncomfortable: With proper local anesthetic, this can be relatively easy to go through. It is done in the office and you will feel much better soon after drainage. The benefits are well worth it.