Does the level of surgical training influence tonsillectomy outcomes? A prospective randomised study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pediatric Surgery
• Surgical Education

Background:

• Tonsillectomy is a frequent pediatric surgical procedure.
• Post-operative pain and bleeding are common complications.
• Surgeon's training level is a potential factor influencing outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of surgeon training level on short-term outcomes of pediatric tonsillectomy.
• To compare outcomes between attending surgeons and supervised residents.

Main Methods:

• Prospective randomized study conducted between 2019 and 2022.
• Compared cold dissection tonsillectomy performed by attending surgeons versus supervised residents.
• Assessed outcomes including analgesia duration, oral intake resumption, hospital stay, and post-operative bleeding.

Main Results:

• 115 children were included; 60 by residents, 55 by attending surgeons.
• Attending surgeon operations were shorter (20.4 vs 29.1 minutes).
• No significant differences observed in post-operative pain, diet resumption, length of stay, or bleeding.

Conclusions:

• Supervised residents achieve comparable results to attending surgeons in pediatric tonsillectomy.
• Surgical training level does not appear to affect tonsillectomy outcomes when performed under supervision.