Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2025
CO2-Lasertonsillotomy Under Local Anesthesia in Adults
Published on: November 6, 2019
Thermal Welding Tonsillectomy versus Monopolar Electrocautery Tonsillectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of
Ebraheem Albazee1, Bader Alshammari1, Mohammad Alotaibi1
1Kuwait Institute for Medical Specializations (KIMS), Kuwait City, Kuwait.
Objective:
In hopes of contributing to the decision about the best surgical option in tonsillectomy, we performed this work to compare the effectiveness of the thermal welding system (TW) and monopolar electrocautery (ME) tonsillectomy in terms of postoperative pain, postoperative bleeding, and operation time in patients undergoing tonsillectomy, to determine which procedure is most expected to enhance the postoperative quality of life.
Methods:
Digital databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, were systematically screened from inception up to October 2022. The included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were evaluated for risk of bias via the Cochrane tool (version 2). The outcomes were summarized as risk ratio (RR) or mean difference/standardized mean difference (MD/SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) in a random-effects model.
Results:
The three RCTs that met our criteria were included in the study. Overall, 151 patients had been enrolled in these three RCTs, in which 75 and 76 were allocated to the TW and ME groups, respectively. The postoperative pain levels were substantially reduced, favoring the TW arm over the ME arm [n=2 RCTs, SMD=-0.39, 95% CI (-0.67, -0.12), p=0.005]. Also, the analysis revealed a substantial variation between the TW and ME arms in terms of operation time [n=2 RCTs, MD=3.29 minutes, 95% CI (1.42, 5.17), p=0.0006]. However, the analysis revealed no substantial variation between the TW and ME arms in term of postoperative bleeding [n=3 RCTs, RR=0.40, 95% CI (0.06, 2.62), p=0.34].
Conclusion:
This meta-analysis revealed that postoperative bleeding for tonsillectomy were similar between the ME and TW techniques. However, TW showed lower postoperative pain levels than ME statistically but without achieving significant clinical advantage.
More Related Videos
07:12Laminectomy for the Removal of Thoracic Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum TOLF Using Ultrasonic and Conventional Osteotomes
Published on: April 21, 2023
11:46Investigation of the Electrophysiological and Thermographic Safety Parameters of Surgical Energy Devices During Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery in a Porcine Model
Published on: October 13, 2022
Related Concept Videos
01:26Tonsillitis II: Management
01:23Chronic Pharyngitis
Etiology
It often arises from persistent viral or bacterial infections affecting sinuses and tonsils.
Additional contributing factors include inadequate dental hygiene, mouth breathing, recurring tonsillitis, allergic rhinitis, laryngopharyngeal reflux, and exposure to smoke, chemicals, and other environmental pollutants. Allergic reactions to pollen, mold, and pet dander, chronic cough, excessive voice usage,...