Electrocautery versus cold steel tonsillectomy comparison study

Abstract

Objective: the objective of this study was to compare the intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative time, postoperative pain and secondary hemorrhage between electrodissection and cold steel dissection tonsillectomy.

Methods: One hundred and six patients were enrolled in this study, the patients were randomly allocated into electrodissection group A (n=51) and cold steel dissection tonsillectomy group B (n=53). All patients are above 7 years and had history of recurrent tonsillitis and/or tonsillar hypertrophy with obstructive symptoms. Intraoperative parameters and postoperative outcome were assessed.

Results: In group A patients had statically significant less operative time and blood loss than group B early postoperative pain was not differ significantly between the two groups, however late onset pain (pain on the 7^th day) was significantly higher in group A. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding secondary hemorrhage.

Conclusion: Electrodissection tonsillectomy is rapid, safe and effective method of tonsillectomy with obvious advantage of minimum perioperative blood loss, lower operative time and without early post-operative pain difference when compared to cold steel dissection tonsillectomy. Although it has some disadvantage of late postoperative pain.