Immediate and delayed complications of adenotonsillectomy

Authors

  • Gerald P. Sebastian Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Thanjavur Medical College, Thanjavur, Tamilnadu, India
  • Balasubramanian Thiagarajan Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Government Stanley Medical College, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
  • Pethuru Devadason Department of Community Medicine, Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences, Kulasekharam, Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20192722

Keywords:

Adenotonsillectomy, Complications, Conventional tonsillectomy, Coablation tonsillectomy

Abstract

Background: Tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy is the commonest pediatric otorhinolaryngological procedure. The aim of the present study was to compare the intraoperative (immediate) and postoperative (delayed) complications between in conventional and coablation tonsillectomy in children.

Methods: This observational study was conducted among 100 children between 5 and 15 years who had conventional tonsillectomy and 50 children who had coblation tonsillectomy. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were observed and compared between two groups.  

Results: Of the total 150 children, 64 (42.7%) were males and 86 (57.3%) were females with mean age of 9.42±2.67 years. Common preoperative symptoms were odynophagia (96.0%), throat pain (95.3%) and difficult swallowing (89.3%). Among the intraoperative anesthetic complications, compression of endotracheal tube was observed in 19 (12.7%), accidental extubation in 10 (6.7%) and dislodging of loose tooth in 9 (6.0%) patients. Regarding intraoperative surgical complications, primary hemorrhage was seen in 43 (28.7%), edema uvula in 39 (26.0%) and pillar injury in 33 (22.0%) patients. Commonest postoperative complication was oropharyngeal pain (18.7%) followed by primary hemorrhage (14.0%) and nausea, vomiting (13.3%). Immediate complications like primary haemorrhage (p value 0.0001) and uvula edema (p value 0.018) were significantly associated with conventional tonsillectomy group while delayed complications like secondary haemorrhage (p value 0.011) and referred otalgia (p value 0.0001) were with coblation tonsillectomy group.

Conclusions: Compression of endotracheal tube and primary hemorrhage were the commonest intraoperative anesthetic and surgical complication respectively. Immediate complications were significantly associated with conventional tonsillectomy group while delayed complications were with coblation tonsillectomies.

Author Biographies

Gerald P. Sebastian, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Thanjavur Medical College, Thanjavur, Tamilnadu, India

Senior Assistant  Professor, 
Department of Otorhinolaryngology

Balasubramanian Thiagarajan, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Government Stanley Medical College, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India

Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Govt. Stanley Medical College, Chennai, Tamilnadu

Pethuru Devadason, Department of Community Medicine, Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences, Kulasekharam, Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu, India

Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences,
Kulasekharam , Kanyakumari Dist., Tamilnadu, India.

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Published

2019-06-27

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Original Research Articles