Lingual tonsillectomy: a review of 5 years experience and evolution of surgical technique

To assess the indications for lingual tonsillectomy; to report our experience with lingual tonsillectomy, and to present the evolution of our surgical technique.

A review of 5-years experience from a prospectively maintained database of 28 patients was performed together with a focused review of the international literature. Therapeutic procedures included lingual tonsillectomy with access via the Boyle-Davis gag or suspended video laryngoscope and with the resection via diathermy, CO(2) laser, or microdebrider.

The indication for lingual tonsillectomy was upper airways obstruction in 22 patients and recurrent infection in six. The operative time for lingual tonsillectomy ranged from 35 to 80 minutes (mean time, 43 minutes). The perioperative in-hospital stay ranged from one to three days for 27 patients. All did very well postoperatively.

Lingual tonsillar pathology may cause significant morbidity and is frequently the cause of persisting peripheral obstructive sleep apnea syndrome after adenotonsillectomy. Lingual tonsillectomy performed with video laryngoscopy and microdebrider resection is feasible and safe and provides good results.