Abstract
Tonsillectomy is a major surgical procedure in terms of volume in the general otolaryngological practice. It is a 3000-year-old surgical operation, referred in Hindu medicine. There has been a conceptual change in the indications and surgical technique in the last 40 years. A comparative study between the various methods of tonsillectomy was done. The study was carried out in the single institutional set up by the same surgeon but using different techniques. The study aimed at comparing the intra-operative factors (blood loss, time taken for surgery), postoperative results (pain, bleeding, dehydration, time taken for complete healing), and other complications like vomiting and hospitalization time between different groups of surgical methods. This study was done in 2500 patients undergoing tonsillectomy with or without adenoid removal in a period of 35 years (1979–2013). The majority of the patients (approximately 41%) in the first half of this period underwent cold steel tonsillectomy whereas 39% underwent microdebrider assisted tonsillectomy. Microdebrider assisted tonsil surgery was done as day care procedure in 90%. In 21% of the patients, other methods viz coblation, radio frequency and laser were used. Microdebrider intracapsular tonsillectomy is associated with lower mortality and morbidity as compared to cold steel, coblation, electrodissection, laser and radio frequency.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- LAST:
-
Laser assisted serial tonsillectomy
- LAUP:
-
Laser assisted uvulopalatopharygoplasty
- PIT:
-
Powered partial intracapsular tonsillectomy
- OSA:
-
Obstructive sleep apnea
- SDB:
-
Sleep-disordered breathing
References
Andrea M (1993) Microsurgical bipolar cautery tonsillectomy. Laryngoscope 103(10):1177–1178
Aremu SK (2012) A review of tonsillectomy techniques and technologies. In: Gendeh BS (Ed) Otolaryngol, InTech, ISBN: 978-953-51-0624-1 pp 161–170. www.intechopen.com/books.otolaryngology/a-review-oftonsillectomy-techniques-and-technologies
Babademez MA, Yurekli MF, Acar B, Gunbey E (2011) Comparison of radiofrequency ablation, laser and coblator techniques in reduction of tonsil size. Acta Otolarygol 131(7):750–756. doi:10.3109/00016489.2011.553244
Baugh RF, Archer SM, Mitchell RB, Rosenfeld RM, Amin R, Burns JJ, Darrow DH, Giordano T, Litman RS, Li KK, Mannix ME, Schwartz RH, Setzen G, Wald ER, Wall E, Sandberg G, Patel MM (2011) Clinical practice guideline: tonsillectomy in children. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 144(1S):S1–S30
Bluestone CD (1992) Current indications for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol Suppl 155:58–64
Darrow DH, Siemens C (2002) Indications for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Laryngoscope 112(suppl 100):6–10
Densert O, Desai H, Eliasson A, Frederiksen L, Anderson D, Olaison J, Widmark C (2001) Tonsillotomy in children with tonsillar hypertrophy. Acta Otolaryngol 121(7):854–858
Don Setliff- discussion on net OTO-HNS group, Medispeciality.com 27 Dec 2013
Deutsch ES (1996) Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy Changing indications. Pediatr Otolaryngol Pediatr Clin North Am 43(6). http://www.pediatric.theclinics.com/article/S0031-3955(05)70521-6/fulltext
Erez Bendet in a personal communication (Discussion) at otohns group dt 27 Dec 2013
Friedman M, LoSavio P, Ibrahim H, Ramakrishanan V (2003) Radiofrequency tonsil reduction: safety, morbidity and efficacy. Laryngoscope 113(5):882–887
Gallagher TQ, Wilcox L, McGuire E, Derkay CS (2010) Analysing factors associated with major complications after adenotonsillectomy in 4776 patients: comparing three tonsillectomy techniques. Otolaryngol Head Neck 142(6):886–892. doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2010.02.019
Glover EEV (1918) Historical account of tonsillectomy. Br Med J 2(3025):685
Goycoolea MV, Cubillos PM, Martinez GC (1982) Tonsillectomy with suction coagulator. Laryngoscope 92(7):818–819
Haase FR, Noguera JT (1962) Hemostasis in tonsillectomy by electrocautery. Arch Otolaryngol 75(2):25–26
Hesham A (2009) Bipolar diathermy versus cold dissection in paediatric tonsillectomy. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 73(6):793–795
Johnson LB, Elluru RG, Myer CM (2002) Complications of adenotonsillectomy. Laryngoscope 112:35–36
Johnston DR, Gaslin M, Boon M, Pribitkin E, Rosen D (2010) Postoperative complications of powered intracapsular tonsillectomy and monopolar electrocautery tonsillectomy in teen versus adults. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 119(7):485–489
Kaluskar SK, Krespi J, Remacle M, Kacker A (2014) Laser tonsil surgery section VI. In: Oswal VS et al (eds) Laser tonsil surgery in principles and practice of lasers in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery, 2nd edn, Vol I. Kugler Publications, Amsterdam, pp 651–655
Koltai PJ, Solares CA, Mascha EJ, Xu M (2002) Intracapsular partial tonsillectomy for tonsil hypertrophy in children. Laryngoscope 112:17–19
Krespi YP, Ling EH (1994) Laser-assisted serial tonsillectomy. J Otolaryngol 23:325–327
Leong SC, Karkos PD, Papouliakos SM et al (2007) Unusual complications of tonsillectomy: a systemic review. Am J Otolarygol 28:419–422
Linder A, Markstrom A, Hultcrantz E (1999) Using the carbon dioxide laser for tonsillotomy in children. Int J Peditr Otolaryngol 50(1):31–36
Martinez SA, Akin DP (1987) Laser tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 20(2):371–376
Mcneill RA (1960) A history of tonsillectomy: two Millenia of trauma, haemorrhage and controversy. Ulster Med J 29(1):59–63
Noah PP, David LW (2011) Trends in the indications for pediatric tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy. Int J Ped Otolarygol 75(2):282–285
Nishimura T, Yagisawa M, Suzuki A, Okada T (2009) Laser tonsillectomy. Acta Otolaryngolica (Stockh). 105(suppl 454):313–15. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/00016488809125046?journalCode=ioto20#.VoN0nxHUb2Q
Pang YT (1995) Paediatric tonsillectomy: bipolar electrodissection and dissection/snare compared. J Laryngol Otology 109(8):733–736
Paradise JL, Bluestone CD, Colborn DK, Bernard BS, Rockette HE, Kurs-Lasky M (2002) Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for recurrent throat infection in moderately affected children. Pediatrics 110:7–15
Pratt LW, Gallagher RA (1979) Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy: incidence and mortality 1968–1972. Otolarygol Head Neck Surg 87:159–166
Randel A (2011) Paradise criteria for tonsillectomy in children and adolescents; Practice guidelines: AAO–HNS guidelines for tonsillectomy in children and adolescents. Am Fam Physician 84(5):566–573
Randall DA, Hoffer ME (1998) Complications of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 118(1):61–68
Refik Caylon, Personal communication, Discussion group,OTOHNS(Medispeciality.com) 26 Dec 2013
Rosenfeld RM, Green RP (1990) Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy: changing trends. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 99:187–191
Royal College of Surgeons of England. National prospective tonsillectomy audit: final report of an audit carried out in England and Northern Ireland between July 2003 and September 2004. May 2005. www.entuk.org/members/audit/tonsil/tonsillectomyauditreport_pdf. Accessed February 3, 2010
Schmidt R, Herzog A, Cook S, O’Reilly R, Deutsch E, Reilly J (2007) Complications of tonsillectomy: a comparison of techniques. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 133(9):925–928
Solares CA, Koempal JA, Hirose K, Abelson TI, Reilly JS, Cook SP, April MM, Ward RF, Bent JP 3rd, Xu M, Koltai PJ (2005) Safety and efficacy of powered intracapsular tonsillectomy in children: a multi- center retrospective case series. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 69(1):21–26
Stuck BA, Windfuhr JP, Genzwurker H, Schroten H, Tenenbaum T, Gotte K (2008) Tonsillectomy in children. Dtsch Arztebl Int 105(49):852–861
Stucken EZ, Grunstein E, Haddad J Jr, Modi VK, Waldman EH, Ward RF, Stewart MG, April MM (2013) Factors contributing to cost in partial versus total tonsillectomy. Laryngoscope 123(11):2868–2872. doi:10.1002/lary.24025
Vaughan AH, Derkey CS (2007) Microdebrider intracapsular tonsillectomy. ORL J Otolaryngol Relat Spec 69(6):358–363
Verma R (2005) Soft tissue shavers in Adenotonsillectomy. Ind J Otol H N Surg spl issue-II:452–54
Windfuhr JP, Chen YS, Remmert S (2006) Hemorrhage following tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in 15218 patients. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 132:281–286. doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2004.09.007
Windfuhr JP, Schloendoff G, Andreas MS, Andreas P, Kremer B (2009) A devastating outcome after adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy: ideas for improved prevention and management. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 140:191–196
Windfuhr JP, Schloendorff G, Baburi D, Kremer B (2008) Serious post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage with and without lethal outcome in children and adolescents. Int J Ped Otorhinolaryngol 72(7):1029–1040
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Human and Rights
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Verma, R., Verma, R.R. & Verma, R.R. Tonsillectomy-Comparative Study of Various Techniques and Changing Trend. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 69, 549–558 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-017-1190-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-017-1190-6