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Comparison of pediatric and adult tonsillectomies performed by thermal welding system
Tolga Ersözlü1, Yavuz Selim Yıldırım2, Selman Sarica3
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Elbistan State Hospital, 46300 Kahramanmaras, Turkey.
Insights
Pediatric patients experienced significantly less postoperative bleeding and pain after tonsillectomy using the thermal welding system (TWS) compared to adults. Adults showed higher prevalence of both bleeding and pain post-tonsillectomy.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Surgical Innovation
- Pediatric Surgery
Background:
- Tonsillectomy is a common surgical procedure.
- The thermal welding system (TWS) is utilized for tonsillectomy.
- Age-related differences in surgical outcomes are frequently observed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare postoperative bleeding and pain in pediatric versus adult patients undergoing tonsillectomy with TWS.
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of TWS in different age groups.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 213 patients (178 pediatric, 35 adult) undergoing tonsillectomy via TWS.
- Assessment of postoperative bleeding and pain in both age cohorts.
- Statistical analysis to determine significance of observed differences.
Main Results:
- Postoperative bleeding was significantly less frequent in the pediatric group (P = 0.04).
- Postoperative pain was significantly less prevalent in pediatric patients compared to adults (P < 0.001).
- Adults exhibited a higher incidence of both bleeding and pain post-TWS tonsillectomy.
Conclusions:
- Tonsillectomy performed with TWS results in more postoperative bleeding and pain in adults compared to children.
- TWS appears to be a safe and effective method for tonsillectomy, with favorable outcomes in pediatric patients.
Abstract:
Objective. To compare pediatric and adult age groups in terms of postoperative bleeding and pain following tonsillectomy performed by thermal welding system (TWS). Method. The study consisted of 213 patients, of whom 178 were children and 35 were adults. The mean age of the pediatric patients (81 girls and 97 females) was 6.7 ± 2.4 years (range 3-13 years) and the mean age of the adults (20 males and 15 females) was 21.8 ± 7.07 years (range 15-41 years). All of the patients were evaluated in terms of postoperative bleeding and pain following tonsillectomy performed by TWS. Results. Bleeding was detected in the late postoperative period in 11 pediatric and 7 adult patients and of them 2 pediatric and 3 adult patients controlled under general. Postoperative bleeding was significantly less prevalent in the pediatric age group compared to the adult age group (P = 0.04). Likewise, postoperative pain was significantly less prevalent in the pediatric age group as compared to the adult age group (P < 0.001). Conclusion. Both postoperative bleeding and pain following tonsillectomy performed by TWS were more prevalent in the adult age group compared to the pediatric age group.
