Tonsillotomy with Coblator or Tonsillectomy? One-Year Postoperative Follow-up Results

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Innovation
• Pediatric Surgery

Background:

• Tonsillotomy can lead to secondary tonsillar hypertrophy or recurrent infections.
• A clinical dilemma exists regarding the optimal surgical approach: coblation tonsillotomy versus conventional tonsillectomy.
• Limited longitudinal data exists comparing these procedures regarding long-term outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the safety, efficacy, and postoperative quality of life of coblator-assisted tonsillotomy versus traditional tonsillectomy.
• To provide comparative evidence on long-term outcomes following tonsillotomy.
• To address the lack of longitudinal data in this area.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of 60 patients with symptomatic tonsillar disease post-tonsillotomy.
• Thirty patients underwent coblator-assisted tonsillotomy; thirty underwent conventional extra-capsular tonsillectomy.
• Evaluation included pain scores (VAS), bleeding rates, infection recurrence, and quality of life (PedsQL) at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.

Main Results:

• Coblation tonsillotomy significantly decreased postoperative pain (mean difference 10.1, p < 0.01) and recovery time (mean difference 4.4 days, p < 0.01).
• Fewer complications were observed with coblation tonsillotomy.
• No significant differences in infection recurrence (p > 0.05) or 1-year quality of life improvement were found between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Coblation-assisted tonsillotomy offers reduced postoperative pain and faster recovery compared to conventional tonsillectomy.
• Both surgical techniques provide comparable long-term results regarding infection recurrence and quality of life.
• Coblation tonsillotomy represents a safe and effective alternative for managing symptomatic tonsillar disease post-tonsillotomy.