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Comparison of radiofrequency and monopolar electrocautery tonsillectomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 November 2009

F Aksoy ,
O Ozturan ,
B Veyseller ,
Y S Yildirim  and
H Demirhan
F Aksoy
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Haseki Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
O Ozturan
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Haseki Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
B Veyseller
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Haseki Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Y S Yildirim*
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Haseki Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
H Demirhan
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Haseki Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Yavuz Selim Yildirim, Haseki Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz Kliniği, 34089 Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey. Fax: +90 212 5103701 E-mail: dryavuzselim@yahoo.com
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Abstract

Objectives:

To compare the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency and monopolar electrocautery tonsillectomy, regarding operation duration and tonsillectomy morbidity, including post-operative pain and haemorrhage and tonsillar fossa healing, in patients with recurrent chronic tonsillitis.

Study design:

A prospective, randomised, double-blind, controlled clinical study.

Methods:

Fifty patients aged over 10 years who required tonsillectomy were randomly assigned to have one tonsil removed by radiofrequency and the other by monopolar electrocautery. Operation duration, post-operative haemorrhage, post-operative pain and tonsillar fossa wound healing were compared.

Results:

The mean ± standard deviation of the operation duration required for the radiofrequency method was significantly longer than that for monopolar electrocautery: 8.1 ± 1.6 minutes vs 7.3 ± 1.5 minutes, respectively (p = 0.034). Post-operative haemorrhage was observed in only three patients (13.6 per cent). Inter-group analysis showed no significant differences in post-operative pain scores for the radiofrequency vs monopolar electrocautery methods (3.7 ± 1.6 vs 3.3 ± 1.4, respectively; p < 0.126). Inter-group analysis showed that tonsillar fossa wound healing scores evaluated on the fifth, 10th and 14th post-operative days were significantly higher in the radiofrequency group compared with the monopolar electrocautery group (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

The present study results indicated that monopolar electrocautery tonsillectomy was superior to radiofrequency tonsillectomy in terms of post-operative tonsillar fossa wound healing; however, both techniques were comparable in terms of post-operative pain.

Keywords

RadiofrequencyMonopolar ElectrocauteryTonsillectomyTonsillectomy Morbidities
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 124 , Issue 2 , February 2010 , pp. 180 - 184
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2009

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