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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

CO2-Lasertonsillotomy Under Local Anesthesia in Adults
Published on: November 6, 2019
Complications of tonsillectomy: a comparison of techniques
Richard Schmidt1, Amanda Herzog, Steven Cook
1Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE 19899, USA. rschmidt@nemours.org
Objective:
To compare the postoperative complications of intracapsular tonsillectomy using a microdebrider with traditional electrodissection tonsillectomy.
Design:
Retrospective chart review.
Setting:
Tertiary care pediatric referral center.
Patients:
The medical records of 2944 patients undergoing tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy at our institution between January 1, 2002, and May 31, 2005, were reviewed.
Main Outcome Measures:
Incidence of delayed postoperative hemorrhage, return to the hospital or emergency department for pain or dehydration, and the need for revision surgery.
Results:
There were 1731 patients in the intracapsular tonsillectomy group and 1212 in the traditional electrodissection tonsillectomy group. The incidence of delayed hemorrhage was 1.1% in the intracapsular tonsillectomy group and 3.4% in the traditional electrodissection tonsillectomy group (P < .001). For delayed hemorrhage requiring treatment in the operating room for control, the incidence was 0.5% in the intracapsular tonsillectomy group and 2.1% in the traditional electrodissection tonsillectomy group (P < .001). Treatment in the emergency department or hospital for pain or dehydration was necessary in 3.0% of the intracapsular tonsillectomy group and in 5.4% of the traditional electrodissection tonsillectomy group (P = .002). Eleven patients (0.64%) in the intracapsular tonsillectomy group required revision tonsillectomy.
Conclusion:
Intracapsular tonsillectomy has a lower incidence of postoperative hemorrhage and pain leading to hospital-based evaluation compared with traditional electrodissection tonsillectomy.
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