[Tonsil surgery in Brandenburg-trends between 2013 and 2017]

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Analysis of tonsil surgery frequency in Brandenburg (BB) from 2013-2017.
• Investigation into the causes and consequences of observed trends in tonsil operations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in tonsil surgery frequency in Brandenburg between 2013 and 2017.
• To explore the impact of the 2015 German guidelines on tonsillectomy indications.

Main Methods:

• OPS code-based survey across 10 ENT hospitals in Brandenburg.
• Interviews with heads of ENT departments regarding tonsillectomy indications.
• Comparison of operation numbers between 2013/2014 and 2017 (BB) and 2016 (national data).

Main Results:

• A 45.6% decrease in tonsillectomy (TE) in BB led to a 21.1% overall reduction in surgeries.
• Tonsillotomy (TT) and abscess TE increased by 32% and 18% respectively in BB.
• National data (395,674 cases) showed a 30.7% decrease in TE, a 14% decrease in abscess TE, and a 27.5% increase in TT, with an overall 21.3% decrease.

Conclusions:

• The significant decline in TE in BB correlates with the 2015 German guidelines for inflammatory tonsil diseases.
• Tonsillectomy is now predominantly performed on adult patients.
• Further research is needed on conservative versus surgical treatment options for recurrent tonsillitis in adults.