Safety of powered instrumentation for adenoidectomy

A recent study established the utility of an endoscopic shaver for adenoidectomy in children by the transoral approach and showed that power assisted adenoidectomy (PAA) was significantly faster with a trend toward decreased blood loss. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the safety of power assisted adenoidectomy in a large cohort of patients. A retrospective review was performed of 329 patients who had adenoidectomy by powered instrumentation. Postoperative complications were documented and compared with a similar group that had curette adenoidectomy. Complications watched for included prolonged recovery, postoperative hemorrhage, readmission for dehydration, velopharyngeal insufficiency, and nasopharyngeal stenosis. No postoperative complications were seen in the power assisted adenoidectomy group. This review confirms the safety of power assisted adenoidectomy.