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["Usual" morbidity of pediatric tonsillectomy: a study of 126 cases]
P Castellano1, M J Gámiz, F Bracero
1Servicios de Otorrinolaringología de los Hospitales Universitarios Virgen de las Nieves de Granada.
Insights
Pediatric tonsillectomy is a common outpatient procedure. While generally safe, significant pain and delayed normal eating in children highlight the need for improved post-tonsillectomy care protocols.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Tonsillectomy is a frequent pediatric surgical procedure, often performed on an outpatient basis.
- Investigating postoperative morbidity is crucial for enhancing treatment and care quality in pediatric tonsillectomy.
Observation:
- A study included 126 children undergoing tonsillectomy in a day-surgery unit.
- Parental questionnaires assessed postoperative pain, otalgia, halitosis, vomiting, and fever.
Findings:
- Half of the children experienced significant pain lasting up to 3-4 days post-surgery.
- Vomiting occurred in one-third of cases, typically on the day of surgery.
- Only 55% of children resumed normal eating habits by the end of the first week.
Implications:
- Ambulatory tonsillectomy is safe with mild complications, but delayed recovery impacts its suitability for day surgery.
- Developing enhanced treatment protocols is necessary to mitigate prolonged pain and vomiting, improving the pediatric tonsillectomy day-surgery experience.
Abstract:
Pediatric tonsillectomy is a common procedure in the ENT practice, usually in a Day-surgery basis. The aim of the present work is to further investigate postoperative morbidity to improve both treatment and quality of assistance. 126 children operated in our Day-surgery unit were included in the study, and a questionnaire with items related to postoperative pain, otalgia, halitosis, vomitig, fever and other aspects was filled by their parents or relatives in charge. Significative pain lasting until the third or fourth day was recorded in half of the cases. At the end of the first week most of the children are improved, although only 55% are eating normally. Vomitting, usually the day of the surgery, is described by one third of cases. In our experience, ambulatory tonsillectomy is a safe procedure with low incidence of complications, which are mild. However, the delay in returning to a normal diet and the relative high incidence of vomiting bring into question the inclusion of tonsillectomy in a Day-Surgery program, making necessary to implement treatment protocols to avoid such problems.