[Optimal Postoperative Pain Management After Tonsillectomy: An Unsolved Problem]

Tonsillectomy is one of the most painful surgical procedures. Unfortunately, it is not unusual that the patient hear statement like: "There is no way around" or "You receive already enough pain killers". Asking the anesthetist or the otorhinolaryngologist, one may get to hear: "Pain after tonsillectomy is not a real problem. We have a reliable pain management protocol". In contradiction, many clinical studies are showing that many patients have persistent and even severe pain after tonsillectomy despite postoperative pain therapy. Considering the results of many controlled clinical trials analyzing manifold varieties of pain management regimes it becomes obvious that there is no standard pain therapy after tonsillectomy with reliable proof of sufficient pain suppression. This review wants to give an overview on the current status of clinical research on pain measurement methods and pain management after tonsillectomy.