[Frequency of secondary tonsillectomy in Germany]

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Outcomes Research
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Tonsillar remnants can necessitate secondary tonsillectomy (STE) after initial tonsillectomy or tonsillotomy.
• Clinical negligence claims sometimes arise from tonsillar remnants post-tonsillectomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of secondary tonsillectomy (STE) in Germany from 2005 to 2018.
• To analyze trends in STE based on age, gender, and year.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective longitudinal study using German Federal Office for Statistics data.
• Identified STE using OPS code 5-281.4; tonsillectomy/tonsillotomy using OPS codes 5-281.5, 5-281.0, and 5.282.0.
• Linear regression analysis was performed to assess trends.

Main Results:

• A total of 11,018 secondary tonsillectomies (STE) were performed in Germany between 2005 and 2018.
• The annual number of STE decreased significantly from 1080 in 2005 to 483 in 2018.
• Inpatient tonsillotomy cases increased from 4658 to 18,369 between 2007 and 2018.

Conclusions:

• The annual incidence of secondary tonsillectomy (STE) in Germany showed a continuous decline during the study period.
• Population-based data were insufficient to differentiate STE origins (post-tonsillectomy vs. post-tonsillotomy).
• Further patient-level research is necessary to clarify the reasons for STE.