Comparison of post-tonsillectomy morbidity operated with Cold Knife and Coblation in patients with Sleep Apnea

Year 2018, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 155 - 160, 18.12.2018

Fatih Oghan , Ali Guvey Onder Aydemir Onur Erdogan , Muhammet Fatih Topuz , Metin Celiker , Suat Terzi Seckin Akbal

https://doi.org/10.32448/entupdates.499040

Abstract

Objective:
To compare post-tonsillectomy morbidity between the Snare and
Coblation methods in patients with sleep apnea.

Method:
The study is performed in 49 cases. Twentyone patients who were
operated by Snare method while the other 28 patients underwent
coblation tonsillectomy. The amount of intraoperative bleeding has
been recorded. The
pain levels at the postoperative hours 6th and 12th.; on the
postoperative days of 1, 3, 7 the patients were assessed through VAS
and Wong-Baker-Faces-Pain-Rating-Scale (WBFPRS) and were compared
between two groups. The Tonsillar-Fossa-Wound-Healing-Score (TFWHS)
assessment was carried out for the wound healing rate on the
postoperative days of 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10.

Results:
The patients who underwent coblation had significantly lower amounts
of bleeding compared to the snare method (p=0.046). The patients who
were assessed within the scope of this study and underwent
tonsillectomy with snare method had significantly higher 6th hour VAS
and WBFPRS scores (p=0.011, p=0.005); whereas 12th hour, days of 1,
2, 3 and 7 VAS and WBFPRS scores were similar. TFWHSs of the studied
patients who underwent coblation were significantly higher on the
days of 1 and 3 (p=0.007; p=0.008) but these scores were similar on
days of 5, 7, and 10.

Conclusion:
The
study has showed that the amount of intraoperative bleeding of the
cases underwent coblation is significantly lower. The lower early
period postoperative pain resulting in earlier oral intake and better
recovery scores for the tonsillary fossa seems to be the advantages
of the coblation as opposed to the snare method.

Keywords

Tonsillectomy, Morbidity, Tonsillar Hypertrophy, Sleep Apnea

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