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Utilization and trends in surgical instrument use in pediatric adenotonsillectomy
David L Walner1, Christopher Mularczyk2, Auddie Sweis3
1Advocate Children's Hospital, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Pediatric Airway Center, Park Ridge, IL, USA.
Insights
Surgical instrument use in pediatric adenotonsillectomy has shifted. Monopolar electrocautery and coblation are now preferred over cold techniques for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy procedures.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Surgical Technology
Background:
- Pediatric adenotonsillectomy is a common surgical procedure.
- Surgical instrument selection impacts patient outcomes and procedure efficiency.
- Previous studies have documented instrument usage trends.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine current surgical instrument trends in pediatric adenotonsillectomy.
- To compare 2015 instrument usage with data from a 2005 study.
- To identify shifts in surgical techniques for adenotonsillectomy.
Main Methods:
- An online survey was distributed to 517 members of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology in October 2015.
- The survey assessed current and previous surgical instrument use for pediatric adenotonsillectomy.
- Results were compared to a 2005 study to identify trends.
Main Results:
- 133 surveys were returned, representing a significant response rate.
- For total tonsillectomy in 2015, monopolar electrocautery (57.0%) and coblation (22.7%) were most common.
- For subtotal tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, microdebrider with monopolar electrocautery and coblation were frequently used.
Conclusions:
- Instrument choice for pediatric adenotonsillectomy has shifted significantly between 2005 and 2015.
- There is a clear move away from cold techniques towards electrocautery and coblation.
- These findings highlight evolving surgical practices in pediatric otolaryngology.
Objective:
Examine trends in surgical instrument usage for pediatric adenotonsillectomy.
Methods:
An online survey asking questions about current and previous surgical instrument use was created by the authors and distributed to 517 members of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology in October 2015. The survey was designed to assess trends in the use of surgical instruments in pediatric adenotonsillectomy by comparing the results of our 2015 survey to data from a previously published 2005 study.
Results:
133 surveys were returned. The most common instruments for total tonsillectomy in 2015 were monopolar electrocautery (57.0%) and coblation (22.7%). The most common subtotal tonsillectomy instruments in 2015 were microdebrider with monopolar electrocautery (41.3%) and coblation (37.0%). The most common adenoidectomy instruments in 2015 were monopolar electrocautery alone (41.3%), coblation (15.1%), and microdebrider with electrocautery (15.1%).
Conclusion:
As compared to our 2005 study, our 2015 study demonstrates that the instrument choice for total tonsillectomy, sub-total tonsillectomy, and adenoidectomy have shifted away from cold techniques toward monopolar electrocautery and coblation.
