• The Laryngoscope · Nov 2003

    Comparative Study

    Coblation tonsillectomy versus dissection tonsillectomy: postoperative hemorrhage.

    • Antonio Belloso, A Chidambaram, P Morar, and M S Timms.
    • Department of Otolaryngology, Blackburn Royal Infirmary, UK. estrach@belloso.freeserve.co.uk
    • Laryngoscope. 2003 Nov 1; 113 (11): 2010-3.

    Objectives/HypothesisCoblation tonsillectomy is a recently introduced surgical technique. To measure its benefits against traditional tonsillectomy techniques, it is necessary to compare their complication rates. The study aims to identify differences in reactionary and secondary hemorrhage proportions, comparing coblation with dissection tonsillectomy.Study DesignProspective observational cohort study.MethodsRates of reactionary and delayed postoperative hemorrhage were measured, comparing 844 coblation tonsillectomies with a control group of 743 tonsillectomies performed by blunt dissection with bipolar diathermy hemostasis.ResultsThe secondary hemorrhage rate with coblation-assisted tonsillectomy was 2.25% compared with 6.19% in the control group (P <.05). The rate of secondary hemorrhage in children following coblation tonsillectomy was 0.95% compared with 4.77% in the control group (P <.05). The difference was also significant (P <.05) in the adult population (4.40% vs. 8.81%, respectively). No difference was found in the reactionary hemorrhage proportions.ConclusionIn the study, coblation tonsillectomy was associated with a lesser incidence of delayed hemorrhage, more significantly in the pediatric population. The new technique using tissue coblation for tonsil dissection offers significant advantages in the postoperative period compared with dissection tonsillectomy with bipolar diathermy hemostasis. Coblation is associated with less postoperative pain and early return to daily activities. Also, there are fewer secondary infections of the tonsil bed and significantly lower rates of secondary hemorrhage with coblation. These results and the disposable nature of the coblation equipment promote coblation tonsillectomy as the authors' preferred dissection method.

      Pubmed     Full text   Copy Citation     Plaintext  

      Add institutional full text...

    Notes

     
    Knowledge, pearl, summary or comment to share?
    300 characters remaining
    help        
    You can also include formatting, links, images and footnotes in your notes
    • Simple formatting can be added to notes, such as *italics*, _underline_ or **bold**.
    • Superscript can be denoted by <sup>text</sup> and subscript <sub>text</sub>.
    • Numbered or bulleted lists can be created using either numbered lines 1. 2. 3., hyphens - or asterisks *.
    • Links can be included with: [my link to pubmed](http://pubmed.com)
    • Images can be included with: ![alt text](https://bestmedicaljournal.com/study_graph.jpg "Image Title Text")
    • For footnotes use [^1](This is a footnote.) inline.
    • Or use an inline reference [^1] to refer to a longer footnote elseweher in the document [^1]: This is a long footnote..

    hide…

What will the 'Medical Journal of You' look like?

Start your free 21 day trial now.

We guarantee your privacy. Your email address will not be shared.