Intracapsular versus standard tonsillectomy: review of literature

For the past century, standard (total) tonsillectomy has been the preferred method for treating illness resulting from tonsillar infection and hypertrophy. With the advent of antibiotics, however, more cases of tonsillitis are treated medically. As a result, tonsillectomies are being performed less frequently for infection than for obstructive symptoms associated with tonsillar hypertrophy and sleep-disordered breathing. This shift has led to the re-emergence of the tonsillotomy, and more specifically the partial or intracapsular tonsillectomy, as an option for treating tonsillar hypertrophy, mainly in an effort to reduce the post-operative complications of pain, subsequent dehydration from lack of oral intake, and, potentially, delayed postoperative bleeding. The following is a review of the literature comparing intracapsular tonsillectomy to standard tonsillectomy for tonsillar hypertrophy associated with sleep-disordered breathing.