The case for an outpatient "approach" for all pediatric tonsillectomies and/or adenoidectomies: a 4-year review of 1419 cases at a community hospital.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to document the safety and efficacy of approaching all pediatric tonsillectomies and/or adenoidectomies (T/A) as outpatient procedures.


METHODS
We conducted a 4-year retrospective study of 1419 pediatric patients undergoing T/A at an outpatient center with procedures performed by a single group of surgeons.


RESULTS
None of the 593 patients undergoing an adenoidectomy and only 5 (0.6%) of those having a tonsillectomy had significant bleeding postoperatively. There were no readmissions for airway problems. Children younger than age 3 were most likely to have complications and to be held for overnight observations.


CONCLUSIONS
Most children can be safely discharged after T/A. The higher incidence of perioperative complications in children who are younger than 3 years of age paralleled their higher rate of overnight observation.


CONCLUSIONS
Children less than 3 years of age require more careful observation, especially after tonsillectomy and more likely will need to be observed overnight than older children.
Postma
Duncan S
DS
University of North Carolina, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. dpostma@capmed.org
Folsom
Fain
F
D000233:Adenoidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome