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Safety of pediatric short-stay tonsillectomy
M L Lalakea1, I Marquez-Biggs, A H Messner
1Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, California, USA.
Insights
A brief postoperative observation period is safe for children undergoing outpatient tonsillectomy. This study found a low complication rate in patients discharged after less than three hours.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Anesthesiology
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Tonsillectomy is a common pediatric surgical procedure.
- Ambulatory tonsillectomy reduces healthcare costs and improves patient satisfaction.
- Determining optimal postoperative observation duration is crucial for patient safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a short (<3-hour) postoperative observation period for pediatric tonsillectomy outpatients.
- To identify complication rates associated with brief observation following tonsillectomy.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 134 pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy.
- Analysis of postoperative observation duration and complication rates.
- Comparison of outcomes between discharged patients and those requiring admission.
Main Results:
- 123 of 134 (91.8%) planned outpatients were discharged after a mean observation of 144 minutes.
- 5.1% of discharged patients experienced complications, including bleeding and readmission.
- Younger patients (mean age 4.0 years) were more likely to be admitted for observation.
Conclusions:
- A short postoperative observation period (<3 hours) is safe for carefully selected pediatric tonsillectomy outpatients.
- The complication rate is low and not significantly affected by observation duration.
- Appropriate patient selection is key for successful ambulatory tonsillectomy.
Objective:
To determine the safety of a relatively brief (<3-hour) period of postoperative observation prior to discharge in children undergoing outpatient tonsillectomy.
Design:
Retrospective chart review.
Setting:
Tertiary care children's hospital and public teaching hospital.
Patients:
The records of all patients (12 years of age who underwent tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy from November 1995 through July 1997 were reviewed. A total of 143 patients scheduled for ambulatory treatment were identified; 9 were excluded owing to insufficient follow-up. The remaining 134 patients made up the study group.
Main Outcome Measures:
(1) Duration of observation prior to discharge; (2) complication rates.
Results:
The mean age of the study population was 6.1+/-2.6 (mean+/-SD) years. Obstructive sleep apnea was an indication for surgery in 86.5%. Eleven (8.2%) of 134 planned outpatients were electively admitted from the recovery room for inpatient observation, most often because of respiratory compromise. Patients admitted from the recovery room were significantly younger (mean age, 4.0 years) than those who were discharged as planned (6.3 years, P<.001). One hundred twenty-three patients were discharged from the recovery room as anticipated, following a mean+/-SD duration of postoperative observation of 144+/-48 minutes. Overall, 5 (4.1%) of these 123 outpatients suffered complications after discharge. Two patients (1.6%) experienced primary bleeding, both at 8 hours after surgery. Four patients (3.2%) were readmitted. The complication rate did not vary significantly with the duration of postoperative observation (P= .71).
Conclusion:
A short postoperative observation period is safe, with a low rate of complications, in appropriately selected children scheduled for ambulatory tonsillectomy.