Partial tonsillectomy with scalpel in children with obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy.

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pediatric Surgery
• Surgical Techniques

Background:

• Obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy is a common condition in children requiring surgical intervention.
• Tonsillectomy is a standard procedure, but postoperative pain remains a significant concern.
• Comparing surgical techniques is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare postoperative pain and analgesic requirements between partial tonsillectomy (PT) using a scalpel and total classical tonsillectomy (TT).

Main Methods:

• A prospective, randomized study involving 96 children with obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy.
• Children underwent either PT with scalpel and tissue scissors or TT via classical dissection.
• Postoperative pain was assessed daily for nine days using analgesic dosage and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores.

Main Results:

• Eighty-one children completed the study; 41 in the TT group and 40 in the PT group.
• No significant differences were observed in operative time or blood loss between the groups.
• The PT group required significantly less daily and total analgesic dosage compared to the TT group (p<0.005).
• Pain scores did not differ significantly between the two techniques (p>0.05).

Conclusions:

• Partial tonsillectomy (PT) with a scalpel is a safe, inexpensive method for treating obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy in children.
• PT results in significantly less postoperative pain and reduced analgesic requirements compared to total tonsillectomy (TT).
• This technique necessitates only standard surgical instruments, making it widely accessible.