Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
CO2-Lasertonsillotomy Under Local Anesthesia in Adults
Published on: November 6, 2019
Comparison of posttonsillectomy pain using the ultrasonic scalpel, coblator, and electrocautery
Stephen P Parsons1, Susan R Cordes, Brett Comer
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, 699 West Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. stparson@iupui.edu
Objective:
To compare postoperative tonsillectomy pain between 3 commonly used surgical devices: the Harmonic Ultrasonic Scalpel (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Cincinnati, OH), the Coblator (ArthroCare Corp, Sunnyvale, CA), and electrocautery.
Study Design And Setting:
A prospective, randomized trial. One hundred thirty-four patients were randomly assigned to receive a tonsillectomy with 1 of 3 surgical devices. All patients were asked to fill out a postoperative diary.
Results:
Statistically significant differences in pain scores were revealed between the Coblator and electrocautery (P = 0.02) and between the Coblator and the Ultrasonic Scalpel (P = 0.003), with the Coblator having lower pain scores. Electrocautery and the Ultrasonic Scalpel did not differ significantly from each other. The Coblation method showed a strong trend toward quicker return to normal diet.
Conclusion:
Patients undergoing tonsillectomy with the Coblator device reported less pain over a 10-day period than patients undergoing tonsillectomy with electrocautery or the Ultrasonic Scalpel. Pain after tonsillectomy remains a major issue for our patients. The choice of surgical instrument appears to be one way to reduce this pain.
Ebm Rating:
A-1b.